Abstract
Archaeological Site Identification and Investigation: Geospatial Methods and Techniques
Track: Archaeology
Author
The archaeological remains of a construction camp that housed dam workers from 1913 until 1925 were identified following a reservoir drawdown at Calaveras Dam in the San Francisco bay area. Observed erosion and the degree of fragmentation of the surface artifact scatter indicated that the integrity of the site may have been compromised. Traditional evaluation through excavation would not be practical or cost effective. Alternative methods were explored to narrow the focus of the investigation and to target specific locations for excavation. A combination of 3D modeling, remote sensing techniques, and a GPS-based magnetometer survey were employed and proved effective for site re-creation and investigation purposes. These techniques were also used to identify cultural features and estimate the locations of historic buildings and structures on the modern landscape. By estimating the locations of these features, excavations could be targeted to identify if any remains of these structures still existed.
Christopher Bente
URS Corporation
1333 Broadway
Suite 800
Oakland, California 94612
United States
Phone: 510-874-3222
E-mail: chris_bente@urscorp.com