We need better maps for historical data
By: Andreas Dahrendorf
Tags: Mapping, World, Humanity, Histoy, Maps

We need better maps for historical data

We need standards for mapping historical data. Because right now those maps show identical data in many different ways, and that makes world history difficult to understand. Worse, the maps convey fuzzy or incorrect data, and are created ad-hoc in raster formats, so all efforts are lost.

“Out of Africa” Model

Ancient China

Colonisation of the Americas

Columbus’ Voyages

Assyria

This is a data problem, not a technical problem

I propose that we need the equivalent for maps, what Wikipedia is for written knowledge.

Collecting the complete human and world history in one online map.

This will help us all to understand that humanity is one and always has been, to see that humankind always was interconnected, and to learn that connecting is good.

To paraphrase the Wikimedia foundation:

We should make it our mission to empower and engage people around the world to collect historical map data under a free license or in the public domain, and to disseminate it effectively and globally.

With better maps we can understand history in vertical and horizontal context, “What happened at the same time someplace else?”, “What happened here before and after?”, “Why did this happen, after that happened?”.

Standards

We need standards for data input and to save correct historical map data.

We should create an online tool that enables the input of standardised historical map data in a scalable vector format. We should grow a volunteer creator community to input and peer review map data, including academic research data.

These new standards have to be compatible with existing standards and tools, be embeddable in existing websites, and be exportable to video, stills and PDF.

Tool

The input of visual map data has to be as easy to use as Wikipedia is for text.

We need an online viewing tool that makes it easy to explore world history with time sliders and layer tools to select/de-select data based on user preference. We need a teacher tool to concentrate on specific cultures, periods, and places, and to save and disseminate settings for class. And we need a verified academic user level for the input of research data.

The tool needs to enable easy links to embed these maps in Wikipedia articles — and any other website. It should include an animation tool for moving history, also with an export tool for video. Additionally, we need tools/plugins for software like AfterEffects to enable the creation of more complex designs based on our map data.

There can be a commercial subscription license for high resolution export in brand colours for TV documentaries, corporate history videos, or museums.

Visual

We use well known visual cues:

Animated colour blobs visualise how the location of a civilisation/peoples changed over time, or which animals existed, where and when.

visualise how the location of a civilisation/peoples changed over time, or which animals existed, where and when. Colour dots help to show where ancient cities were built, or where archaeological excavation sites are located today.

help to show where ancient cities were built, or where archaeological excavation sites are located today. Animated colour lines can show when and where people moved, or how hominids migrated across the world.

can show when and where people moved, or how hominids migrated across the world. Animated blobs, dots, and lines show how languages developed, how countries were colonised, or how religions expanded.

show how languages developed, how countries were colonised, or how religions expanded. Animated map colours show how the climate, landscapes, and water levels changed over time. For example to visualise that while there was an ice age in the north, the Sahara was a green steppe.

Video

Video creation and export is important for teaching, academic presentations, TV documentaries, commercial use, and for YouTubers.

All data points and layers have to be individually selectable and keyframable, for basic video export. More complex video animations can done with external software tools that we enable access for.

Future

Once we have covered the basics of history, we go into personal detail, visualising how one person or distinct groups moved over time. For example:

Where the Buddha stayed and taught.

Following a future queen through her life until coronation.

Locations from the diary of one particular soldier in a war.

How Stonehenge was built by individual groups that converged on the site from all directions.

When Mount Everest was climbed, on which route, and by whom.

What the original Marathon route was and who ran it.

Next

This has to be a community effort.

To succeed we need to start a group of interested people, define the technical requirements and eventually start entering data. Then we have to contiually grow our community while we ensure diversity.

I have started to contact YouTube Creators who publish about history and or with the use of maps, to find out if this could be a route to create a nucleus.

I will keep you updated.