| This thesis explains the design and use of an open--source GIS database to allow for easy access to and analyses of the data associated with each lithic source identified in the Vaucluse raw material project. Raw--material sourcing in the Vaucluse has been carried out by L. Wilson, UNB (Saint John) since 1987, with the hope of better understanding the utilization of geological material by Middle Palaeolithic hunter--gatherers. This thesis demonstrates the use of an open--source GIS database to perform searches and queries on the physical, petrographic and geochemical data that has been collected to describe the raw materials in the Vaucluse. The online server MySQL is combined with ArcView to examine the spatial characteristics of the geological data, and the use of the database is demonstrated through a small test case, examining the possible sources of lithics for the archaeological site of Les Briquets. This project has created a comprehensive GIS database that provides information on numerous provenance techniques, and through spatial analysis on lithic types from Les Briquets has added another dimension into determining the best route to access raw material sources, by demonstrating that the best route is not always the shortest. |
