GIS Approaches to Regional Analysis: A Case Study of the Island of Hvar

Gaffney and Stancic publish preliminary results of a regional studies project on the Dalmatian island of Hvar (4 km from the Croatian coast, 68-km long, and 15-km wide at most). A geographical information system (GIS) program was fundamental to the design of the Hvar project. Case studies from Hvar show how archaeologists can employ GIS. GIS facilitates the collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, and presentation of spatial data. Section 1 describes the methods of GIS and the equipment (including computer hardware and software) needed. Section 2 applies GIS techniques to problems of territorial boundary definition, the analysis of communication routes, and the relationship of archaeological sites to agricultural land within their economic territories. Five topics are discussed as examples of GIS applications in archaeology. GIS could be an invaluable tool for government archaeological services entrusted with managing archaeological heritage.