Archaeological data are inherently spatial data.
It is not designed to benefit a single person or to explore a single subject, but rather to facilitate the analysis, interpretation and publication of a number of Michigan archaeological projects. This proposal is designed to bring together archaeologists with shared intellectual interests, to encourage their contact, communication and collaboration, and to educate graduate students and undergraduates in the possibilities of spatial analysis. The International Institute submits this proposal to the Office of the Vice President for Research, recognizing its own goal of bringing together the diverse community of UM scholars and data resources in common enterprises of international research and education. The proposal includes a request for a large server sufficient to serve a complex set of databases and virtual workspaces for users, workstations for shared use, faculty release time, and research assistance from graduate student assistants. The principal investigators and key collaborators come from several departments across the schools and colleges.