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Geographic information systems (GIS) have become a core tool of archaeology by allowing the rapid comparison of complex datasets and supporting wholly new forms of analysis. This development is not surprising, since archaeology was one of the first disciplines to embrace the new technology as it became more commonplace in the 1980s. The past three decades have seen a proliferation of archaeological GIS studies, with the majority focusing on prehistoric contexts. While early examples of GIS for historical archaeology do exist, serious engagement with the technology did not emerge until the 2000s. The following article provides a much needed overview of the current state of archaeological GIS for historical archaeology. This includes a brief summary of previous and ongoing research to demonstrate the unique possibilities that emerge when historical archaeologists utilize GIS to its fullest potential. This overview groups the use of GIS into three familiar categories of inventory, geospatial analysis, and mapmaking. Building on this overview, the author examines emerging uses of GIS for historical archaeology. These new directions rely on historical archaeology's unique approach to studying the past, which relies upon the combination of artifacts, documents, and ethnohistory. These emerging forms of practice include counter-mapping, new forms of immersive 3-D GIS, and the possibilities of computer simulation. The article concludes with a frank discussion of the challenges that may hinder these potentials and the possibility for theory building between historical archaeology and other disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New heritage refers to the intersection of new media technologies and traditional heritage studies. This includes the use of digital technologies to virtually reconstruct archaeological objects and contexts. This article presents readers with an overview of these approaches through two case studies drawn from African American archaeology. The first case study explores the reconstruction of Kingsley Plantation, near Jacksonville, Florida. This study uses SketchUp and Google Earth to create and share the site. The second case study examines a similar project in Rosewood, Florida, that combines a wider range of data, while exploring a mixed methods approach to sharing the virtual reconstruction. The authors also examine the ways such work intersects with historical archaeological studies of African American identity and landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article calls for a specific form of comparative inquiry within historical archaeology as drawn from diaspora studies. Such a project encourages archaeologists to compare research from emigrant areas alongside work at overseas sites. This diasporic approach provides new potentials for engaging with the modern world by intersecting with both traditional and new aspects of archaeological practice. In order to showcase these aspects of a diasporic approach, the author explores three case studies from Montana, Peru, and New Zealand - connecting each to its related home area. The case studies explore how data drawn from a group's homeland can support established heritage practices, engage with modern social problems, and illuminate complexities arising within sites based on ethnolinguistic differences within populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are still growing in relation to historical archaeology, and the related literature contains little on the actual methods for structuring such data. The author draws on fieldwork at four sites in the Otago Region of New Zealand to present a sample data model as well as various uses for GIS in historical archaeology—from initial data collection to public presentation. Methodology developed here was used to map surface remains with GPS at four gold mining sites. Because unforeseen problems can arise when transitioning field data into digital formats, the process developed as part of the author's work to translate, organize, and disseminate data is presented in clear steps. The benefits for public consumption of archaeological material is discussed as well as the potential for GIS to address simple phenemonelogical questions about past decisions in regards to site placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]