METADATA FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES GIS DATA LAYER

FLORIDA DIVISION OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES

July 2004

 

DATASET NAME: [CountyName]_Sites

 

DATASET TYPE: ESRI Shapefile Format

 

DATASET EXTENT: State-wide or County-wide

 

FEATURE TYPE: Polygons

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This data set contains archaeological site boundaries and basic site attributes as recorded at the Florida Master Site File.

 

PROJECTION PARAMETERS:

Projection         Geographic Coordinates

Units              Decimal Degrees

Datum              NAD27

Spheroid           Clarke 1866

 

COMPUTER HARDWARE USED: Microsoft Windows-Based PCs and Servers

 

GIS SOFTWARE: ESRI ArcGis 8.3

 

DATA VERSION: July 2004: This data set updates and replaces all previous versions of the Florida Master Site File archaeological sites data layer.  This version incorporates newly recorded sites and updates of previously recorded site plots and attributes.

 

DATA CURRENCY: Data from the Florida Master Site File are continually updated.  On average, the Site File processes 800 additional archaeological site forms each year.  This data layer is only current as of the date of this document.  Contact the Florida Master Site File for updated data layers.

 

DATA SOURCE(S) AND SOURCE MAPS: Source data were created by the Division of Historical Resources. The original boundary data are based on field recording forms and site plots submitted to the Site File, which were then hand drawn onto primary series, USGS 7.5', 1:24,000 scale quadrangles.  These paper quadrangles with site locations marked are the source maps and are located at the Florida Master Site File.  Florida Master Site File site folders contain an Archaeological Site Form with descriptive location data and a photocopy of the source map.

 

DATA LINEAGE: In the first phase of compiling the FMSF GIS data layers, site boundaries marked on the source maps were hand digitized by an outside contractor using AutoCAD and a digitizing tablet.  The four corners (NAD27) of the source maps were used to place the reference system tics.  The AutoCAD files were converted to Arc/Info files, converted into geographic coordinates and joined into a statewide coverage.  The statewide coverage was then split into 67 county level Arc/Info coverages.  The coverages were converted to ArcGIS geodatabases in August 2003 and are now maintained in that format.  Additions, updates, and maintenance to the archaeological GIS data layers are performed by Site File staff using on-screen digitizing in ArcMap.  Scanned, georeferenced, 1:24,000 scale USGS quadrangles in geographic coordinates (lat./long., NAD27) are used as the base maps for the on-screen digitizing process.

 

POLYGON FEATURE NOTES: Archaeological sites in this data set often overlap one another.  In some areas large polygons may completely obscure smaller ones.  For this reason it may sometimes be helpful to display only polygon boundaries or use a transparent polygon fill.  Alternatively, a point layer may be created from the centroids of the polygons.

 

ATTRIBUTE NOTES: The values for the attributes listed are compiled from the Florida Master Site File database.  The database and paper files at the Site File site may contain several site forms (an original and updates) for an individual site.  This attribute table contains a subset of all available site data.  Contact the Florida Master Site File for additional information.

 

ATTRIBUTE TABLE FIELDS AND DESCRIPTIONS:

Name        Type       Length

------------------------------    

SITEID      String       8

SITENAME    String      40

SITETYPE1   String      50

SITETYPE2   String      50

SITETYPE3   String      50

SITETYPE4   String      50

SITETYPE5   String      50

SITETYPE6   String      50

CULTURE1    String      50

CULTURE2    String      50

CULTURE3    String      50

CULTURE4    String      50

CULTURE5    String      50

CULTURE6    String      50

CULTURE7    String      50

CULTURE8    String      50

SURVEVAL    String      30

SURVEYNUM   String       5

D_NRLISTED  Date         8

SHPOEVAL    String      30

PLOTTYPE    String       4

HUMANREMNS  String       3

------------------------------

SITEID: This is the official state site number assigned by the Florida Master Site File.  The state site number is an eight character string containing a two character county code, a five character numeric code, and an optional single letter character suffix (suffix letter is generally used to indicate sites that are functionally or spatially related).

SITENAME: The site name as recorded at the Florida Master Site File. Usually the principal or best known name for a cultural resource.  A site name of "NN" indicates no name has been designated for the site.

SITETYPE1-6: General archaeological site type, especially dealing with aspects of site setting, important structures or features that are present, cultural or settlement function, or relative density of material remains.  More than one site type may be represented at the same site.  If all six site type fields are populated, there is a possibility that more exist for the site and are recorded in the Site File database.  Values in these fields are limited to a discrete list of possibilities used in the Site File database lookup table.  Contact the Site File for more information.

CULTURE1-8: Archaeological culture or subculture or historic context represented at the site.  More than one culture or historic context may be represented at the same site.  If all eight culture fields are populated there is a possibility that more exist for the site and are recorded the Site File database.  Values in these fields are limited to a discrete list of possibilities used in the Site File database lookup table.  Contact the Site File for more information.

SURVEVAL: Surveyor's evaluation of the cultural resource's eligibility for the National Register when the resource is considered as an independent entity, not as a component or "contributing property" to a potential district.  Values in this field are limited to a discrete list of possibilities used in the Site File database lookup table.  Contact the Site File for more information.

SURVEYNUM: The serial number assigned by the Site File to the manuscript produced by the project which identified or reexamined the cultural resource.  Not all sites have an associated report or manuscript.

D_NRLISTED: Date that the site was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).  The field is blank if the FMSF database does not indicate the property is National Register listed.

SHPOEVAL: Evaluation of Florida's State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) concerning the eligibility of the resource for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.   In Florida, the SHPO is the Director of the Division of Historical Resources, acting through staff in the Bureau of Historic Preservation (BHP).  Generally the Site File database only contains evaluations made by the Compliance Review staff of BHP.  Some properties may be listed on the NRHP without having been reviewed by Compliance Review staff.  Therefore, an NR list date (indicating a property is NR listed) takes priority over a 'Not Evaluated by SHPO' value in this field.  Values in this field are limited to a discrete list of possibilities used in the Site File database lookup table.  Contact the Site File for more information.

PLOTTYPE: A value of 'NORM' in this field indicates that the site plot represents the actual boundary of the archaeological resource as recorded by the surveyor.  A value of 'GV' (general vicinity) in this field indicates that the site plot DOES NOT represent actual site boundaries, but rather bounds an area within which the site is believed to be located.

HUMANRMNS: This item contains a 'YES' value if the type of site is a burial (Historic Burial, Prehistoric Burial, or Burial Mound) or if the Site File database indicates that human remains were observed at the site.  All other sites have a blank value for this item.  *IMPORTANT: A blank value for this item does NOT preclude the possibility of human remains being present at the site.  It simply indicates that there is no record of human remains in the Site File electronic database.  Note that records of historical cemeteries are kept in a separate Site File data layer and are not included with archaeological sites.

 

LIMITATIONS OF THE DATA/WARNINGS TO THE USER:  The archaeological site data are based on field reports which have been submitted by many and varied individuals, groups, institutions, and cultural resource firms.  Submissions to the Site File are sometimes accepted from amateurs (non-archaeologists) as well as professionals.  The site locations and attributes are only as accurate as the information submitted to the Site File by the site recorder.  The accuracy of submitted information cannot always be verified.  The absence of archaeological sites in this data layer does not preclude the existence of an unrecorded site in the field.  In fact, only an estimated 10% of the sites in existence are recorded at the Site File.

 

The locations of archaeological sites, historic structures, unmarked human burials, cemeteries, and other cultural features contained in this (and other) Site File data layers are for resource management, law enforcement, and research purposes only.  State law protects archaeological remains on state owned and controlled lands (section 267.13, Florida Statutes).  State law protects human burial sites on all lands (sections 872.02 and 872.05, Florida Statutes).

 

COUNTY CODES:

AL Alachua         HA Hamilton          OK Okaloosa

BA Baker           HR Hardee            OB Okeechobee

BY Bay             HN Hendry            OR Orange

BF Bradford        HE Hernando          OS Osceola

BR Brevard         HG Highlands         PB Palm Beach

BD Broward         HI Hillsborough      PA Pasco

CA Calhoun         HO Holmes            PI Pinellas

CH Charlotte       IR Indian River      PO Polk

CI Citrus          JA Jackson           PU Putnum

CL Clay            JE Jefferson         SJ St. Johns

CR Collier         LF Lafayette         SL St. Lucie

CO Columbia        LA Lake              SR Santa Rosa

DA Dade            LL Lee               SO Sarasota

DE Desoto          LE Leon              SE Seminole

DI Dixie           LV Levy              SM Sumter

DU Duval           LI Liberty           SU Suwannee

ES Escambia        MD Madison           TA Taylor

FL Flagler         MA Manatee           UN Union

FR Franklin        MR Marion            VO Volusia

GD Gadsden         MT Martin            WA Wakulla

GI Gilchrist       MO Monroe            WL Walton

GL Glades          NA Nassau            WS Washington

GU Gulf

 

CONTACTS:

Name:     Vincent Birdsong or Dr. Marion Smith

          Florida Master Site File

Address:  Bureau of Archaeological Research

          R. A. Gray Building

          500 South Bronough St.

          Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250

Phone:    (850) 245-6440

Fax:      (850) 245-6439

Email:    General Site File:    fmsfile@dos.state.fl.us

          GIS Supervisor:       vbirdsong@dos.state.fl.us

          Site File Supervisor: msmith@dos.state.fl.us

 

Report prepared by Vincent S. Birdsong

 

 

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Document file: p:\fsf\docs\gis\documentation\metadata\metadata_AR.htm