Geographic Information Systems as a Tool of Modern Age Archeology in Western Siberia

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be applied to archeological sites that belong to the epoch of Russian exploration of Western Siberia. GIS make it possible to collect, accumulate, and visualize archeological data. Although the method has gained a lot of popularity in the recent decades, Russian GIS-archeology has poor theoretical foundations. This article summarizes experience, problems, and prospects of using GIS at Modern Age archeological sites in Western Siberia. It starts with a comprehensive historiographic analysis of the domestic experience in various regions of Russia. The author introduces a preliminary classification of GIS-technologies. The analysis proved that GIS are acknowledged practical tools that make it possible to accumulate available theoretical data about archeological sites. Some regions have more prospects for GIS-archeology than others. A number of issues will have to be solved to develop the domestic GIS-archeology. For instance, attributive markers, conventional designations, and map bases should be unified. Moreover, archeologists often experience problems with access to data and experience obtained by their colleagues. Finally, there are very few specialized archeological GIS on Modern Age sites. In addition, Russian archeology will definitely benefit from AI-technologies.

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