Training
GIS for Cultural Landscapes
We also offer tailor-made courses
Duration: 1 day
Overview:
In this introductory course you will be taught the basic characteristics of spatial data and how these data are managed in a Geographic Information system. You will have the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the main open-source GIS software used in the private and public sector: QuantumGIS (QGIS). At the end of the course you will be able to manage and query spatial and attribute data in a GIS environment. Examples provided in the course refer specifically to historic and cultural landscapes.
**We can offer training with other GIS software on request**
Outline:
– Spatial data: formats, coordinate systems
– Attribute data: database structures and relationship with spatial data
– GIS: introductory overview
– QuantumGIS: structure, standard tools, plugins
Learning outcomes:
Understanding of GIS and basic use of QuantumGIS.
Prior knowledge:
No prior knowledge of computer software or GIS is required
Duration: 1 day
Overview:
In this course you will learn how to manipulate spatial data in GIS environment, how to integrate data collected in the field into your GIS, how to create your own spatial datasets, and how to export a map. For the course we will operate with QuantumGIS (QGIS), the most common open-source GIS available, and we will use examples specifically related to cultural landscapes and landscape history. At the end of the course you will have a good understanding of the main data-management tools of GIS, and you will be able to create your own maps.
**We can offer training with other GIS software on request**
Outline:
– Managing and manipulating raster data in QGIS
– Querying and editing vector data in QGIS
– Importing maps and photos: georeferencing
– Importing your own field data from GPS
– Creating your own GIS dataset
– Creating and exporting thematic maps in QGIS
Learning outcomes:
Intermediate knowledge of GIS functionality for managing spatial and non-spatial data, publishing thematic maps
Prior knowledge:
prior knowledge of the basic principles of GIS is required (see our GIS Introduction course)
Duration: 1 day
Overview:
In this course you will learn how to acquire landscape information using the RESCAPER App, and how to manage and manipulate the acquired data within a GIS platform. You will be introduced to the theoretical and practical background of RESCAPER and will be trained in the use of this App in the field. You will also be instructed in its integration with QuantumGIS (QGIS) and in the use of standard GIS tools for plotting and querying the data. The potential integration of the acquired landscape perception with HLC will also be explored during the course. At the end of the course you will be able to carry out a simple landscape survey and a basic analysis of the acquired data
**We can offer training with other GIS software on request**
Outline:
– The RESCAPER App: an overview
– Using the RESCAPER App
– Integrating data within QGIS
– Mapping and querying data within QGIS
– Landscape perception and HLC
Learning outcomes:
Prior knowledge: An intermediate knowledge of GIS, in particular QGIS, is required. A basic knowledge of Historic Landscape Characterisation techniques is recommended.
Duration: 1 day
Overview:
In this course will learn you how to use and integrate open source maps and spatial data. Because of the European INSPIRE directive, a lot of spatial data and historic maps are made open source by local and national authorities. This course will show where this data can be found and how it can be integrated within your own GIS database. Having access to and integrating these free data can be valuable for landscape and heritage management and can be used as a base for management plans, future landscape and heritage strategies or impact assessments.
Outline:
– Searching and accessing open source historic maps and data
– Using free and open source data in a GIS
– Publishing your own historic mapped data online
Learning outcomes:
Acquiring knowledge on where open source maps and mapped data can be found and how they can be integrated in a GIS database.
Prior knowledge:
An intermediate knowledge of GIS, in particular QGIS, is required.
Duration: 1 day
Overview:
In this course you will learn how to read historic maps and how to set up the process of map regression. Map regression is the study of a sequence of maps to reveal changes in individual features and in their landscape. In our courses both reading and interpreting historic maps is done within a GIS environment. Being able to read and interpret historic maps and understanding the process of map regression is a useful way for archaeologists to study changes in the landscape. You will be explained how maps can act as a historical record and can help provide information on potential archaeological sites or for the management of heritage sites. The use of standard GIS tools within this course gives the possibility to link this understanding with other datasets or data layers in other disciplines.
Outline:
– Historic maps: an overview
– Historic maps and GIS
– Georeferencing in GIS
– Interpreting the historic map and their content
Learning outcomes:
Integrating historic maps into a GIS environment to facilitate their analysis and interpretation
Prior knowledge:
An intermediate knowledge of GIS, in particular QGIS, is required.
Duration: 1 day
Overview:
In this course you will learn how to use GIS to analyse landscape character and landscape change. You will be introduced to the basic concepts of Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC), and you will be explained how to use this type of datasets to visualise specific aspects of the historic landscape and of its evolution using thematic maps. You will also be trained in the interpretation of these maps to inform landscape development and planning. HLC datasets will be queried and analysed using QuantumGIS (QGIS), one of the main open source GIS software available. At the end of course you will be able to use HLC for the analysis of landscape history and for the protection of landscape character in the face of future change.
Outline:
– Historic Landscape Characterisation: theoretical and methodological background
– Categorizing HLC data in GIS using different symbologies
– Complex queries for the visual assessment of spatial and temporal phenomena in HLC
– Interpreting HLC-based thematic maps
Learning outcomes:
Visualisation of HLC data in GIS, analysis of HLC-based thematic maps
Prior knowledge:
An intermediate knowledge of GIS, in particular QGIS, is required (see our courses: GIS: An introduction and GIS: Mapping)
Duration: 1 day
Overview:
In this course you will learn how to use aerial photographs to identify and map archaeological sites and heritage assets in the landscape. An introduction on the main online archives for modern and historic aerial photographs will be provided. You will be trained in the integration of satellite, aerial and drone images into GIS platforms. You will learn how to visually manipulate aerial photos for enhancing the visibility of specific landscape features. As part of this course, there will also be an introduction to the use of LiDAR imagery for remote sensing in archaeology and cultural landscape studies.
Outline:
– The different types of aerial images
– Open-access digital archives for aerial images
– Integrating and managing aerial photos into GIS
– Introduction to LiDAR imagery analysis
Learning outcomes:
Using and interpreting aerial images through GIS and other software
Prior knowledge:
An intermediate knowledge of GIS, in particular QGIS, is required. We do offer GIS introductory and intermediate courses here
Duration: 1 to 3 days
Overview: The discussion around place meaning and making is ongoing in the bibliography, relating to landscape and heritage management but also the role of the surrounding communities, the local administration and other contributing factors (NGOs, relevant SMEs etc.)
In this course, we will examine approaches from various academic fields, as heritage management, landscape planning and urban design. We will also discuss of tools and methodologies available that allow us to gather and manage data relating to the character of place and its historicity. This complex biography of place must be systematically analysed to reach a point, most of the times a single sentence, that makes sense to the majority of the participants in this inclusive exercise.
From there, it all depends on the trainee and the point of departure. Are we interested in studying further the landscape and its features or are we set to develop a new brand for this vibrant palimpsest?
Outline:
– Sense and meaning of place: Main points in bibliography
– Capturing data: Introduction to tools and methodologies
– Data analysis: Working on a case study
– Place narratives: approaches to a synthesis
– Introduction to place branding
Outcomes:
– Understanding the main principles behind place meaning and making
– Acquiring basic skills in relevant data collection, analysis and synthesis
– Learning how to develop a basic place branding scenario
Prior knowledge: No prior knowledge is required