Towards GIS Mapping and Spatial Modelling of Archaeological Sites in the Southeast Queensland Bioregion

Abstract

In the early 1980s a strategic approach to the description, assessment and management of cultural heritage places using biogeographical boundaries was developed in Queensland. A recent refinement correlates sites on the Environmental Protection Agency's Indigenous Sites Database with environmental variables for the Moreton Basin Province of the Southeast Queensland Bioregion. Archaeological sites in the province are correlated with distance to water, elevation and particular geological and vegetation types. These correlations may reflect either real relationships or biases in the data. Preliminary correlative models developed are not considered substitutes for further inventory surveys and ongoing model refinement. The development of such models is considered useful in providing initial understanding of site distribution patterns.