1. The Electronic Atlas of Ancient Maya Sites Walter R. T. Witschey Science Museum of Virginia Clifford T. Brown Middle American Research Institute

2. Thanks Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative Middle American Research Institute Science Museum of Virginia

3. Goals Identify systems: –Social, economic, political (& polities) –Use settlement data –Use epigraphic data Test theoretical settlement models –Predict and identify settlement patterns in unsurveyed areas

4. Typical GIS ResearchOR –Modest resources –Smaller in scope –Geographically limited –Data-constrained State/Federal CRM –Heavy on resources –Public Administration –Record-keeping

5. Mexico & Central America Maya Area

6. Belize Guatemala Honduras El Salvador Q.Roo Yucatan Campeche Chiapas Tabasco The Maya Area Mexico

7. Scale Area + detail = –Cost –Labor –Compute power –Knowledge …required for system use Challenge –Enough detail for interesting questions –Enough resources for the effort

8. Excavation unit with artifacts Settlement unit with structures Region with sites

9. Digital Chart of the World Developed by United States Department of Defense (Defense Mapping Agency) Described in Military Specification: Digital Chart of the World. MIL-D- 89009. Mapped at scale of 1:1,000,000 Horizontal accuracy  2000 - 4200 m

12. Accuracy Issues Of site location (latitude/longitude) Proxy location Data Conversion Projection scheme Source data

14. Sites Base Data (DCW +) Daughter files Occupations Long counts Architecture Ceramics … Arcview GIS 3.2

15. Main sign Copan Quirigua Tikal Yaxchilan Piedras Negras Palenque Structure of Emblem Glyphs After Coe 1992

16. Rank 1, 2, 3 and 4 sites

17. Kohunlich Tzibanche La Reforma Chacchoben MMJ Chichmuul Lagartera Uomuul Chetumal After Harrison 1981 One-day, two-day walks

18. Thiessen polygons After Mathews Mexico Belize Guatemala Tikal Calakmul

19. Kimball Museum; Birmingham Museum of Art

20. Result Non-environmental variables more powerful Better cognitive and ideological models of settlement and polity