Schlagwort: maps

Every map tells a story about the interaction between people and the world around them. Maps present aspects of the landscape that people find significant. Borders, resources, cities, the lay of the land – each element tells us a narrative about the individual cartographer and the society in which they lived. From maps, we may ascertain the needs and values of a society. In maps, we find the aspirations of those who drew or commissioned them. In this way, maps are not only tools, but displays of power and means of exercising authority. The maintenance of power through cartography has likewise been defined by access. Those with the ability to access the knowledge held in maps are both the first to be influenced by the narrative presented on the page, and the individuals best armed to enforce the map’s presentation of the spatial world. Historically, the ability to view and use maps was limited to those in positions of power, with maps often being held in books and legers, or filling the shelves of the upper strata. However, the advent of archival digitization has lifted the veil on many historic maps, providing access to wider audiences than ever before. But how can we extend this democratization of spatial knowledge and connect these maps with the spaces they depict? Moreover, how can we use them to teach modern audiences about the relationship that people had with space in the past? „Connecting People and Place. GIS Mapping and the Democratization of Spatial Histories“ weiterlesen