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Welcome to OpenHistoricalMap! OpenHistoricalMap is an interactive map of the world throughout history, created by people like you and dedicated to the public domain. OpenHistoricalMap collaboratively stores and displays map data throughout the history of the world.
United Nations. United Nations’ published list of countries belonging to world regions, split into a total of eight regions. Time span: A single time period, the regional definition remaining constant over time. Available at: The data is available online here. Research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems.
They also look great. Each map contains a wealth of information and stories, so to have such a wide range of topics covered is a fantastic resource. I chose to use the maps in a BBC video because they are a very clear way to show changing borders in Europe and there were so many dates available through history.
- Overview
- Apps
- GeoJSON
- SVG
- Conceptual limitations and disputed territories
- Projection
- Contributing
- Credits
- Some (rare) historical georefernced resources on the web
- Other resources - not georeferenced or GIS files non-downloadable
This historical boundaries project aims at providing ready-to-use base maps for mapping historical data. It is work in progress: verify the maps by comparison to other sources before using in academic work. If you see errors, report them in the "issues" section.
If you use the maps, think about giving back by contributing.
Several apps using the historical-basemaps dataset have been developped. A non-exhaustive list:
•Historic Borders: a web app with timeline, by Adam (GitHub user @ngrapple).
•Point in History: a web app to visualize the history of any point on the planet by Hans Hack.
•A web app on ourednik.info (aplha release) alows you to exlore the dataset in alternative map projections.
All maps are stored in the geojson format: single file per feature layer, human and machine readable, easy to import in qGIS or use in D3 (see d3v5_example.html as well as d3v5_roughjs_example.html with the additional use of rough.js). Integration in Leaflet, OpenLayers et al. is also easy to achieve.
The maps in the Scalable Vector Graphics format are the result of a conversion of GeoJSON files with the R script geojson2svg.Rmd. By default, the script uses a "Natural Earth" projection, which can be changed by using another PROJ string than natearth2 in st_transform(geodata, "+proj=natearth2").
Please see these SVG files only as raw material editable with a vector drawing software for the needs of GIS-unsavvy users. If you contribute to this Git repository, please edit directly - and only - the GeoJSON files.
When using the data, keep in mind that
1.historical boundaries are even more disputed than contemporary ones, that
2.the actual concept of territory and national boundary becomes meaningful, in Europe, only since the Peace of Westphalia (1648), that
3.areas of civilizations actually overlap, especially in ancient history, and that
4.overlaying these ancient vector maps on contemporary physical maps can be misleading; rivers, lakes, shorelines do change very much over millennia; think for instance about the evolution of the Aral Sea since the 1980s.
Overlapping areas are usually dealt with as topological errors in traditional GIS, but some overlaps make sense in the case of this repository. Notwithstanding epistemological and historiographical concerns, the pragmatic bottom line is: vector GIS has points, polygons and lines. That's it. Nevertheless, when redendering, transparent layers (opacity < 100%) and blur effects is a convenient way to deal with fuzzy and overlapping borders of pre-modern societies.
The geodata are stored in the WGS 84 projection, EPSG:4326 (crs:OGC:1.3:CRS84). Coordinates are in LatLon, the projection is geographical. Consider reprojecting to show the maps on world scale, choosing a projection with minimal area distortion, such as the Dymaxion (AirOcean) projection or the Molweide projection.
Most mapping software and algorithms reproject on the fly. Globe wrapping is also possible, as illustrates ngrapples's app:
You are welcome to contribute by making your forks and filing git pull requests. Further notes on contributing in CONTRIBUTING.md.
This project started as a collection of basemaps collected, adapted and converted from diverse sources, sometimes only available through the wayback machine. Among these sources, anonymous students from the "ThinkQuest Team C006628".
•CShapes by Niels Weidman, also available as an R package.
•GIS data : historical country boundaries
•Old Maps Online.
•Native Land. Contains notably maps of territorial conventions between colonizers and native populations in the Americas and Australia. User contributions possible via a GIS interface. These maps are also available in GeoJSON format.
•David Rumsey Map Collection: The most important historical maps repositoriy. Over 60000 ancient maps, some reprojected on interactive globes.
•Ancient World Mapping Center at the University of North Carolina
•Atlas of Human Evolution. A nice tool for the prehistory of the Homo species. Takes into account also the evolution of sea levels.
•Euratlas.net. Mostly reliable but very old technology.
•Geacron.com. "Interactive World History Atlas since 3000 BC". A nice tool, but offering no possibility to extract polygons for use in a GIS. A commercial version of the program allows you to see a timeline.
•Wikimedia: Maps of the world showing history
Our immersive online geoscope experience provides an interactive way to visualize and analyze global issues such as natural disasters and climate change. Terra Scientifica An engaging online media platform showcasing scientific concepts, discoveries, and environmental issues through video content, interactive maps, and articles
People also ask
What is OpenHistoricalMap?
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History 117 Commits. js. js ... Patched Historical Atlas - interactive world map (4000BC-20XX, every year) on web browser ... Add period bars for regions and persons.
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