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RE: Symbollocks

Dear Mr Carlisle and all fishes

I for one find nothing discourteous in Neil's most recent posting, title included.  It is very easy to be too precious about these issues and get bogged down in the detail of the exciting world of data standards and data structure :-).  Neil's point about GIS having the potential to provide "a more sophisticated, dynamic view of the landscape" is a good one.  At a 'recent work in the Mesolithic' seminar in Leicester some years ago there was a paper on view-shed analysis in the Hebrides (I think-forgive my memory on this one!)and I was extremely impressed with the use of true GIS 3D modelling in developing models of past landuse.  I found it both accessible and exciting.  Much of what we deal with in historic landscape GIS is 2D mapping which in many ways has hardly moved on intellectually from the 1880's.  In fact, as has been said by others, the quality of these early OS maps were high and certainly provided me at an early age with a real interest in landscapes and history.  We must not forget that a lot of people still find 2D maps challenging.

Bob Sydes
Archaeological Officer
Bath & North East Somerset Council


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