Mapping History, People and Ideas: Geospatial Modelling in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Description

Convenors: Katie Boyle (McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research)
                     Cameron Petrie  (Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology) 

Maps and mapping have long been specialist disciplines that have played critical roles in exploration and scholarship for centuries if not millennia. However, recent years have seen the growth and proliferation of readily accessible digital tools such as Google Earth and Virtual Earth and, perhaps more so now than ever before, the power and usefulness of maps and mapping is being recognised by researchers in all disciplines. Traditionally mapping and geospatial representation have been 2- dimensional exercises, but today we can move into 3- or even 4-dimensions as change through time, on an hourly, annual or even millennial scale are modelled.
 
Any exercise in ‘geospatial modelling’ involves the mapping of data, using some form of grid referring system to locate phenomena, people or sites. These data can be modern or historical, they can concern thoughts and ideas, actions and activities, populations past and present.
 
So what are the benefits of using spatial information in the arts, humanities and social sciences? Among them are the ability to visualize spatial relationships between phenomena and observations, to archive data and to study temporal/historical or chronological change, to examine large-scale, even global, processes as well as local
ones, modelling questions and answers in visual and easily understood ways. Geographic information systems (GIS) provide tools with broad relevance to environmental science, management and monitoring, at all scales of analysis.
Geospatial modelling broadens the context and nature of spatial approaches so as to include humanities and social sciences.
 
This one day workshop will highlight cutting edge approaches to geospatial modelling that are currently being used by researchers in the arts and humanities. It will be relevant to those interested in visualising and interpreting data, describing ongoing work in both Cambridge and beyond. The aim is to show early career researchers the
potential of a geospatial approach, displaying, modelling and interpreting information which varies through space and time.
 
Speakers include
Craig Alexander  (Archaeology, Cambridge)
Bob Haining    (Geography, Cambridge)
Kenneth L Kvamme (University of Arkansas)
Corinne Roughley  (Archaeology, Cambridge)
Leigh Shaw-Taylor   (History, Cambridge)
Tony Wilkinson  (Archaeology, Durham)

Programme and Registration
Please click on the link on the right hand side of the page to see the programme and register online.  There is a flat rate fee of £5.00 for the day.

 

For administrative enquiries please contact Michelle Maciejewska.