自1960年代以來,由於電腦科技的進步,地理資訊系統(Geographic Information Systems, GIS)已廣泛地應用在動物、森林、地質、海洋、土壤、商業、交通、都市計畫等眾多學科的空間研究之上。作為擷取、管理、分析和展示空間資訊的工具,GIS快速和即時處理數值化空間資料的特性,以及考古遺址具有的空間性,使得GIS很快地被應用在遺址保存管理工作上。然而,文化資產管理單位在建構遺址地理資訊系統之前,應該先思考使用GIS的目的、方法與可行性,如此才能更科學地管理遺址,並充分發揮GIS的效能。本文除簡介GIS的意義、功能與在遺址保管工作的應用之外,又以台南地區遺址預測模式的例子來說明應用GIS可能遭遇的問題與解決方式。
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been widely applied to the fields of biology, forestry, geology, oceanography, pedology, business, transportation studies and urban design. As tools for capturing, managing, analyzing and displaying spatial information GIS characteristically can process digital spatial data rapidly and simultaneously. GIS was soon applied to archaeological site management. However, before constructing GIS of archaeological sites cultural resource managers should consider the goals, methods and feasibility of applying GIS to the tasks of site management in order for the that application to be scientific and effective. This paper demonstrates the meaning, functions and applications of GIS using the example of site predictive modelling in the region around Tainan. Practical problems and their solutions are addressed.