Abstract

Transforming 19th century Archives into 21st century Analytical Maps
Track: Archaeology
Authors: Kayeleigh Sharp, Mark Wagner

To meet the challenge of mapping archival data (e.g., courthouse ledgers) from the 1830s in our research on the Cherokee Trail of Tears, Southern Illinois, GIS presented the notable advantage to run queries in our geodatabase and create spatially-referenced datasets. Our analysis included the identification of hotspots and feature intersection then used to elucidate various aspects of the Cherokee experience. For studies using unconventional data such as these, the advantages of GIS are immense.