| Abstrakt: |
This article provides an overview of the impact of selected environmental and anthropogenic disturbances to 18 archaeological sites on the coast of southern Monterey Country. A Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) was modeled in ArcGIS 10.2, a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment, and averaged seven potential threats to the cultural landscape. These variables ranked distance to the coastline, streams, roads, and trails, as well as percent slope, soil, and land cover types within the archaeological study area. A hydrologic analysis was conducted, producing additional datasets identifying hazardous areas. A separate index model was created, employing slope and stream data derived from the hydrologic analysis, and compared to the raster incorporating USGS stream and slope data. Both indices produced roughly similar results, and identified at least 12 archaeological sites within areas of moderate to severe vulnerability. Ground truth of the indices should be affirmed by monitoring sites, both remotely and on the ground, in order to establish the accuracy of the GIS model. GIS models are practical tools for guiding research and mitigation strategies negating impacts to archaeological sites. Efforts must be made to identify and mitigate damage to archaeological resources in order to preserve knowledge of human and environmental history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
