Abstract

Managing Historic Landscapes with GIS: The WWII Desert Training Center
Track: Archaeology
Author(s): Rolla Queen

At the beginning of World War II, General George Patton was directed to establish a large-scale military training facility for the purpose of preparing troops for the rigors of desert warfare. Soon after, Patton established the Desert Training Center, encompassing more than 18,000 square miles of southern California, Nevada and Arizona Deserts. The DTC was designed to emulate a full theatre of war, including infantry, tank, and aerial components. Almost seventy years later, the archaeological footprint of the DTC is still visible across the desert, and provides a tremendous challenge to the preservation and management of the remaining historic resources. Almost all of the DTC is located on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. This presentation focuses on the use of GIS in managing large scale historic landscapes, and explores the use of GIS, GPS, historic maps and aerial photography, to identify, record and manage historic resources.

Rolla Queen
Bureau of Land Management
California Desert District
22835 Calle San Juan de los Lagos
Moreno Valley , California 92503
United States
Phone: 951-697-5386
E-mail: rqueen@ca.blm.gov