Cultural Digital Maps

1

• Cultural Digital Maps
• 
  Karolina Ociepka
• 
  trainee

2
Cultural Digital Maps

• Cultural Digital Map what is it?
• The Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative
• TimeMap
• Examples
• Projects
• Advantages of using cultural digital maps
• Join ECAI
• Conclusions
• Resources

3
Cultural Digital Map what is it?

• An digital atlas is a matrix of spatial and
  temporal information with associated cultural
  information or attributes. It must include at
  least one dynamic map with multiple layers, or
  multiple maps. It is created by an author or team
  of collaborators with a specific focus, theme,
  and/or intended audience. The focus can be either
  large or small scale in time and space.
• To be an academic work the atlas must include
  appropriate documentation of the source of data
  and the methods of analysis and construction of
  the project.

4
Cultural Digital Map what is it?

• Historical, religious, ethnographic, and language
  atlases are related genres of work. Cultural
  atlases generally include information from
  several of these more specialized genres.
• Cultural atlas is a convenient term for two or
  more cultural maps that form a coherent, thematic
  whole. In practice, when the necessary
  explanation and documentation has been added,
  atlases become digital publications that include
  one or more cultural maps.

5
Structure of Cultural atlas
6
Structure of Cultural atlas

• Cultural atlas may consist of
• static and/or dynamic maps.

7
Static map gives a possibility to display only
static data.
8
Dynamic map gives a possibility to display
only the selected data and to view data in the
dynamic way.
9
Dynamic map
10
Dynamic map
11
The Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative

• http//www.ecai.org
• The Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI)
  originated in 1997 when a group of scholars met
  in Berkeley to discuss how better maps could be
  developed to support their research and teaching.
• ECAIs programs include two international
  conferences a year, the development of standards
  and best practices, and the creation of digital
  publications that incorporate dynamic cultural
  maps, mainly using the TimeMap software.
• ECAI is, by its mission, concerned with cultural
  maps for education and research.

12
The Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative

• ECAI's vision encourages the development of a
  global digital cultural atlas which incorporates
  a federated collection of hundreds of networked
  digital projects created by libraries, museums
  and archives, and by scholars in history, the
  humanities and the social sciences.
• Integrating technologies and other spatial data
  with a distributed architecture and humanities
  content, ECAI is on the front lines of research
  in various fields of information technology in
  addition to developing content for the atlas. To
  achieve these goals, ECAI is involved in research
  initiatives on numerous topics.

13
The Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative

• Toward this end ECAI has developed two ways of
  viewing distributed cultural materials.
• The Cultural Atlas Portal links examples of
  cultural atlases developed globally
• http//ecai.org/culturalAtlasPortal
• The ECAI Clearinghouse is a collection of
  spatio-temporal datasets and TimeMap mapspaces
  contributed by ECAI affiliates
• http//ecai.org/tech/mdch.html
• In addition to these portals, you can browse
• Approximately three hundred affiliated projects
  listed on the
• Related Project List
• http//ecai.org/atlases/projectlist07.asp
• Featured Projects - examples of a wide range of
  projects using time and space
• http//ecai.org/atlases/Featuredprojects.asp

14
TimeMap

• TimeMap was developed at the University of
  Sydney, Australia, under the leadership of Ian
  Johnson, an archaeologist.
• A time bar can be set dynamically to any desired
  span of time and only data relating to that
  period is visible in the display. When the time
  bar slider is moved, the map shows the changes
  through time dynamically, with an intuitively
  attractive video-like effect.
• In addition, TimeMap includes software to compile
  a catalog (clearinghouse) of Internet
  accessible geotemporal data sets and the tools to
  search for, select, download, and edit these
  resources to compile a complex resource for
  visualization.
• TimeMap is freely available for research and
  educational purposes and is being moved to open
  source. For fuller details, see the TimeMap web
  site at http//www.timemap.net/

15
The TimeMap methodology

• A means of displaying the results of scholarly
  research in space and time
• A means of making text, images, hyperlinks,
  tabular data, and multimedia applications from
  anywhere on the Internet available in one
  interface
• A tool to query the data catalogued in the ECAI
  clearinghouse and search the Internet to find and
  access ECAI projects
• A way to superimpose diverse ECAI projects on one
  another in a single time-aware map
• A means of downloading selected data from
  Internet datasets to a consistent GIS format on a
  local drive for further analysis with other
  software packages
• Control of access to datasets through password
  and encryption
• Methods of display and animation of maps through
  time

16
Cultural Mapping Projects - Examples

• Interactive Map of Tibet
• http//www.thdl.org/collections/cultgeo/asia/asiam
  ap.html
• The Map includes the information about
• Tibetan Areas in PRC
• PRC Provinces
• Counties
• Major Towns
• Population Density
• Electricity usage
• Rivers and Forests
• Elevation Map
• There is also a possibility to take a virtual
  tour through Lhasa city. Each district of the
  city includes short descriptions in both English
  and Tibetan languages. The map includes also
  links to different portals, maps and other useful
  resources concerning this region as, for example,
  Lhasa Satellite Image.

17
Interactive Map of Tibet
18
Cultural Mapping Projects - Examples

• Multimedia website on Masterpieces of the Oral
  and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
• http//www.unesco.org/culture/en/masterpieces
• The website includes the world map with all
  Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage
  of Humanity marked on it.
• Masterpieces are arranged by the year of
  Proclamation.
• Each chosen masterpiece includes presentation,
  which consists of a masterpiece description,
  photo, video and audio material, as well as
  information about the ways of safeguarding the
  particular masterpiece by implemented
  educational, research and cultural projects.

19
Multimedia website on Masterpieces of the Oral
and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
20
Cultural Mapping Projects - Examples

• Norfolk Heritage Explorer
• http//www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/
• The website offers the opportunity to access the
  Norfolk Historic Environment Record database
  online.
• Users can access thousands of records that
  describe the archaeology of Norfolk from the
  Palaeolithic period to the modern day. These
  records deal with a range of sites, finds and
  buildings in the county, making this an ideal
  resource for anyone wanting to learn more about
  the heritage of Norfolk.
• The Explorer offers also other features of the
  site that help to bring the heritage of Norfolk
  to life include
• Heritage Trails - These heritage trails provide
  different ways to explore Norfolk's archaeology
  during walks, cycle rides or drives through the
  countryside. Each trail is described in detail on
  the website and accompanied by maps and
  photographs.
• Teaching Resources - These Resource Packs have
  been designed in consultation with the Learning
  Department of Norfolk Museums Archaeology
  Service and local schools. These contain
  everything required to follow the teaching
  activities but could also be used in a variety of
  different ways.

21
Norfolk Heritage Explorer
22
An example of a TimeMap - Iraq Time Map

• http//ecai.org/iraq/
• During the 2003 Iraq War, the Bagdad and Mosul
  Museums were looted, secret vaults flooded, and
  archaeological sites damaged by looters with
  bulldozers. At the April 2003 Electronic Cultural
  Atlas Initiative (ECAI) conference in Vienna,
  Austria (in conjunction with the Computer
  Applications and Quantitative Methods in
  Archaeology conference), the question was posed
  What can weas academicians, computer scientists,
  and concerned citizens do to help preserve Iraq's
  history?" ECAI accepted the task of constructing
  a website to bring together the available digital
  cultural heritage resources on Iraq.
• The oldest written history in the world is that
  of Mesopotamia, which occupied the area that is
  now Iraq. The ECAI Iraq Cultural Atlas covers a
  10,000-year period of history, which includes
  profiles of 70 major historic sites and 50
  empires and eras. Online resources are linked to
  each profile. These include multi-media
  materials, historical abstracts, results of
  online library searches, records of cultural
  artifacts, and a history of writing.

23

• ECAI Iraq presents over 850 individual links
  hosted by over 140 institutions all cataloged by
  time and place. Over 120 online maps, mostly
  static images, are included. The contributions of
  each institution can be viewed
  in an alphabetical index.

24

• Profiles can be accessed through the list or via
  a dynamic map. For
  the dynamic map click "View Historic Sites
  Dynamic Map".

25

• A time slider bar can be used to view boundaries
  of empires as they change over time.
  Interacting with the maps you can click on a
  location to zoom in and see more
  detail for that area. A dynamic map of historic
  sites displays the distribution of
  major sites, world heritage sites, and ziggurats
  (ancient pyramid-shaped temple
  towers).

26

• Each site has a profile which includes a site
  plan (when available), a thumbnail image of
  the site, and a location reference map.
  Additional information includes links to
  abstracts from a variety of sources, artifacts,
  collections, history, maps, news, and other
  relevant documentation.

27
Iraq Time Map

• The sponsors of the ECAI Iraq project include
• The Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI),
  the Hewlett-Packard Company, the Center for
  Information Technology Research in the Interest
  of Society (CITRIS) at the University of
  California, and International and Area Studies
  (IAS) at the University of California, Berkeley.

28
Projects

• The range of disciplines and world areas
  represented in electronic cultural atlases is
  large. Cultural Digital Maps have been realised
  in countries like Afghanistan, Australia,
  Belgium, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, China, India, Iran,
  Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Nepal,
  Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Sudan, United
  Kingdom, United States. Many online projects
  currently take advantage of the ECAI and TimeMap
  infrastructure. Over 300 such projects are listed
  at ECAI website, with links to the project team
  members.
• Within a framework of some projects, there are
  developed cultural maps of each region or area in
  particular country.
• On the next two pages you will find some
  examples.

29
Projects
30
Projects
31
Cultural atlas published as a book

• Some of atlases are published as books. The
  example of an atlas published
• in book form is Macquarie Atlas of Indigenous
  Australia. The atlas opens up a
• window onto the landscape on Aboriginal and
  Torres Strait Islander lives, from
• 60,000 years ago to today.
• Atlas contains black-and-white and full color
  photographs, maps, charts, illustrations and
  artworks.
• Each chapter has been compiled by one or more
  experts in their field, under the general
  editorship of Bill Arthur and Frances Morphy.
• Macquarie Atlas of Indigenous Australia was
  awarded for Excellence in Educational Publishing.
  
• "This is a book that every school in the nation
  should possess.
• The Age 7/1/06
• "This book deserves a place in every library -
  school, university and
• municipality - in this country
• Geographical Education, Vol 19, 2006

32
Macquarie Atlas of Indigenous Australia
33
Advantages of using cultural digital maps

• In the humanities and social sciences there is a
  strong need to understand context. Temporally
  dynamic maps provide a framework for showing and
  analyzing context in terms of what was happening
  around a particular time and place.
• Paper maps are static. Digital maps can be
  dynamic with respect to data sets (allowing
  layers to be added, removed, and combined),
  spatially (panning and zooming), temporally
  (showing change over time), and by supporting
  links to and from other resources.

34
Advantages of using cultural digital maps

• Electronic cultural atlases must include all the
  features of the paper version but pose new
  questions about the best ways to represent the
  information in the new media. Electronic cultural
  atlases can also include new functionality
  enabled by the use of electronic media including
• Interactive viewing and dynamic presentation of
  the material
• Content searches
• Content filtering
• Analysis
• Incorporation of larger volumes and more complex
  data
• Flexibility in integrating content for specific
  authors goals and intended audiences
• Possibility of online community input of
  information

35
Join ECAI

• ECAI welcomes the participation of individuals
  and organizations who have digital projects to
  link with the Cultural Atlas. Any web-based
  project that includes spatial and temporal data
  has the potential for interoperability with ECAI.
  
• If you become an ECAI affiliate
• Your name and your project will be listed in our
  database, allowing other members of the community
  to browse your work in progress.
• You will have the opportunity to attend
  conferences, training sessions, interim workshops
  and meetings.
• You may apply for technical assistance in project
  development, and for support to attend
  conferences, subject to the availability of
  resources.

36
Conclusions

• Digital cultural map is one of wide used mean of
  distributing information about different cultural
  areas.
• It offers the opportunity to involve a society in
  the process of popularization and exploration
  cultural issues.
• Digital map gives a possibility to incorporate in
  one web site all types of information, including
  photo, audio and video material.
• Cultural map might be used as a supplementary
  aid, which contain interactive forms of teaching
  and is an example of using the new media in the
  education programme.
• The Map as a background, might by used as an
  important source of information by research
  institutions, education and cultural specialists,
  higher education institutions, state and regional
  government etc.
• Digital Map, involving a wide audience in the
  process of exploring the Intangible Cultural
  Heritage, and making a use of a possibility to
  contain different kinds of material, is one of
  well known practice of safeguarding the
  Intangible Cultural Heritage.

37
Conclusions

• Digital map offers a possibility to analyse
  information in the spatial and temporal context.
• As an alternative data base, digital map foresee
  a possibility to include new data sets and update
  the information concerning the particular
  cultural space.
• Different cultural areas might be described using
  the digital cultural map, these are for example
  the activities of cultural institutions and
  linguistic differences in the chosen place, as
  also archaelogical resources and statistics
  database.
• Digital Map helps to recognize the size and scope
  of cultural activities. This information might
  assist the cultural institutions in coordinating
  information and collaboration among the creative
  and performing arts.
• Digital Map is a great mean to build
  relationships with diverse arts groups on the
  local, regional, national and global level.

38
Latvian Cultural Map as a part of ECAI Cultural
Atlas

• Latvian Cultural Map (www.kulturaskarte.lv) might
  be included in the ECAI Cultural Atlas
• The possibility of the map development
• Technical assistance in projects development and
  financial support to attend conferences on the
  cultural map subjects.
• A great possibility to inform an international
  auditory about Latvian culture, its traditions,
  history, current events, interesting objects and
  important persons, as well as intangible and
  tangible cultural Latvian heritage.
• A possibility to cooperate with other cultural
  maps development projects.

39
Resources

• The Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative web
  site http//www.ecai.org
• The Cultural Atlas Portal http//ecai.org/cultura
  lAtlasPortal/
• The ECAI Clearinghouse http//ecai.org/tech/mdch.
  html
• TimeMap website http//www.timemap.net/
• Interactive Map of Tibet http//www.thdl.org/coll
  ections/cultgeo/asia/asiamap.html
• Multimedia website on Masterpieces of the Oral
  and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
  http//www.unesco.org/culture/en/masterpieces
• Norfolk Heritage Explorer http//www.heritage.nor
  folk.gov.uk
• Iraq Time Map http//ecai.org/iraq/
• Macquarie Atlas of Indigenous Australia
  www.macquarienet.com.au
• The information was available on August 2008

40

• Thank You for Your attention!