Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Historical Maps in GIS

2019; Volume: 2019; Issue: Q1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.22224/gistbok/2019.1.4

2577-2848

Silvia Piovan,

Geographic Information Systems Studies

Navigate to... Sandy coastlines often change faster than mountain ridges.It is important to take into consideration that both natural and anthropogenic processes result in change (even very quickly!).Geomorphological processes such as meander cut offs, landslides, and volcano eruptions can change the shape of the land faster than traditional data collection processes occur, even with the most modern cartographic techniques.Key moments in the history of cartography resulted in major advances in the quality of spatial representation.These steps can be useful to identify a map as historic and to determine in which major category the map falls.These important steps are:1.The beginning of a more systematic use of map projections (16 th century).The origin of map projections can be dated back to the ancient Greeks (Snyder 1993) and the peak of the cartographic knowledge in antiquity is associated with Ptolemy (2 nd century AD).However, the period of great geographic explorations was a strong push factor for the development of cartography in the Renaissance.Accurate and reliable maps based on map projections, such as Mercator's, were produced and used for maritime and trade purposes, state government, and military scopes.2. A more systematic use of standardized symbols (16 th century).Ancient examples of pseudo standardized symbols in maps can be found in the Tabula Peutingeriana or even in the Medieval mappamundi.In the 16 th century, with the European cartographical control on newly discovered lands, it is possible to find the beginning of a systematic use of symbols (e.g. for towns, church towers, etc.).3. The use of remote sensing in map production (1920s-1930s).To augment or replace field surveys (around 1850 -in 1858), the Italian geodesist and optical engineer Paolo Ignazio Pietro Porro was the first to apply a panoramic camera to the process of land surveying (Birdseye, 1940).However, aerial photos were not widely incorporated in map production until after the First World War. Types of Historical MapsHistorical maps can be categorized according to different classifications (material, scale, purpose, etc.).In this section four major types of historical maps are briefly described according to their main purpose.Sketches and plans.The scales most often used in sketches and plans are 1:500, 1:1000, 1:2000, 1:2500 and 1:5000.Detailed engineering drawings such as building plans use scales even larger (e.g.1:100 or 1:10).The most common features on this type of map are buildings and engineering structures (such as harbors, bridges, pumping stations, etc.), canals and railways.These sketches or plans may have been produced as part of a survey for determining the most suitable route of a railway or a canal, to aid construction and maintenance of the structure, to accompany purchase orders or, in the case of military plans, to provide useful information to enable troop or ship movements, or to illustrate strategical points in particular campaigns.Cadastral maps.Cadastral maps show the legal definition of a land parcel and its ownership.Cadastral maps may also include geographical features as buildings, railroads, churches, cemeteries, schools, and natural features such as rivers, ridges, ponds, and quality of the soil.Their scale usually varies between 1:1,000 and 1:7,000.Cadastral maps often include written registers that describe the use of the soil (Figure 1) and the owner.6. Describe possible issues in the interpretation of symbols from a historical map.7. List at least 3 examples of the use of historical maps in GIS for the study of the landscape changes.