Archival Maps Research Articles

Ślady średniowiecznej granicy Warmii między Reszlem a Świętą Lipką

The diocese of Warmia was established on July 28th, 1243, when the region of Prussian lands was divided into four dioceses: of Chełm, of Pomorze, of Warmia, and of Sambia. The bishopric of Warmia was to be endowed with a third of estates belonging to the diocese, whereas the remaining part was to be in the possession of the Teutonic Order. The division of the Warmia diocese into parts belonging to the bishopric and the Knights proceeded in several stages: the initial agreement was reached on April 27th, 1251; further arrangements were decided on December 27th, 1254. The last document states that the eastern border reaches up to the Krakocin forest lying one mile to the east of Reszl. In the 2nd half of the 14th c. serious arguments followed regarding the location of the border between the estates of the bishopric and the Order. Ultimately, on July 28th, 1374, an agreement was signed and approved of by Pope Grzegorz XI, setting favourable conditions for the Order. The historic border of Warmia between Święta Lipka and Reszl proves an extremely interesting issue. It includes many border stones and mounds which have survived up until today virtually in an unchanged form. Of particular interest is a border stone made of red granite, with an episcopal crosier and cross carved into it. The object was listed in a document from 1431. All border stones enumerated in the publication are featured in archival maps from the turn of the 16th c. Alongside border stones, objects of interest lying on the historic border of Warmia are longitudinal shafts. Two stretches of this type of fortifications have survived up until the present times. Yet another curiosity are the forest ducts running across the former border, two of which used to be of an inter-regional importance. The border of Warmia in the region of Święta Lipka runs across forested areas, which is the reason why most border Stones have survived until today. The hitherto expert literature on the subject includes no mention of these – the present publication constitutes an attempt to verify the course of this stretch of the Warmia border, on the basis of source materials and cartographic documents. The section of the border discussed here, located in the vicinity of an important religious site of Święta Lipka is of great significance in terms of its cultural and historical value.

Miasto późnośredniowieczne i nowożytne na przykładzie „Atlasu historycznego miast polskich – Gdańsk”

In the present article the author attempted to present the problems experienced while working on the changing city topography. Th ese are the reflections the sources of which were the studies conducted in the course of preparing a historical atlas of Gdansk (supervised by Professor Doctor Habilitated Wieslaw Dlugokecki, University of Gdansk). Results of the research are above all connected with the state of research (source studies, archeological and architectural studies) and the maintenance of sources. When these are insufficient, it frequently turns out that an unambiguous presentation of the spatial development is not possible. One of the basic sources to analyze the changes in the urban arrangement and to attempt to recreate the city subdivision in the medieval period are the archival maps and plans. Transferring selected information on the board of the city development requires a detailed analysis and an individual approach. Considerable problems are connected with recreating the city fortifications and their forms which are not preserved or which were preserved only partially at the moment when the oldest cadastral plan was prepared, the basis of most boards. However, the most difficult element of research on the space of a medieval or modern town is certainly an attempt at correlating the written sources with a specific place in its space – with a specific estate. This requires reconstruction of the town subdivision, which – with a lack of proper archeological or architectural studies – is not possible. Some researchers who deal with the analysis of transformations of the urban space make use of the method of metrological analysis, which was particularly popular in the 1960’s and the 1970’s and according to which medieval towns were measured in accordance with the modular plan. Results of research conducted for the New Town in Gdansk question the application of this method separately from the sources unambiguously determining the medieval subdivision. In case of no such sources any attempts to ascribe the source information to concrete plots are only hypothetical. Similar difficulties also occur while establishing the localization of markets, trading and industrial places – besides those that are generally well-known. Many of them have not survived till modern times and that is the reason why they cannot be found on the oldest plans. Th e graphic presentation of the localization of those and other places or areas and their borders requires considerable discipline from researchers which does not have to be so rigorously observed in the verbal description of the space. An interesting observation made while transferring the source materials to the city plan was that at the beginning of the 19th c. a number of streets or their fragments both in the Main and the Old Town in Gdansk were still settled by representatives of one guild, like it was in the Middle Ages. Both towns had different character, which resulted from the settlement of different professional groups in their areas.

The utility of ancient forest indicator species in urban environments: A case study from Poznań, Poland

We aimed to assess the impact of land-use structure on AFIS occurrence and evaluation of these bioindicators in urban conditions. We compiled data about forest continuity based on archival maps and forest management plans; floristic records of 79 AFIS occurrences were collected within a 1×1km grid and land-use form structure in Poznań (W Poland). We tested fidelity of AFIS using χ2 tests and effects of land-use structure using random forest models. We also checked spatial autocorrelation and its impact on AFIS distribution patterns within old and recent forests, using spatially explicit generalized linear models. We found a strong relationship between AFIS number per grid square and fraction of forests and waters in land-use structure. Relationships between AFIS distribution and land-use shows that AFIS are a good proxy describing human impact or an urbanity gradient. AFIS number per grid square shows small, but significant positive spatial autocorrelation, which suggests possibilities of migration into new forests. AFIS, treated as a bioindicative group of species, may be a useful indicator of landscape and land-use structure transformation in urban environments. Occurrence of many AFIS that are endangered at the city scale indicates the need for conservation of old forests in urban areas, to preserve biodiversity in urban environments. Thus, AFIS may act as indicators of old forests with high conservation value in cities, which need special protection.

Fort Mcmurray Wildfire 2016: Conflating Human-Caused Wildfires With Human-Caused Global Warming

As the debate over the ratio of human versus natural influence on climate change continues, proponents of the theory of catastrophic human-caused global warming often cite various extreme events as alleged evidence of human-caused climate change. This was the immediate reaction by anti-oil activists such as Naomi Klein to Alberta’s Fort McMurray wildfire of 2016, particularly as Fort McMurray is the epi-centre of demonized oil sands activity. Most recently, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) issued a report claiming that 2016 was the hottest year on record, linking to a map of “evidence” of extreme events wherein the Fort McMurray fire is noted as one such example. Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada made similar claims on March 2, 2017. In fact, the archived status report of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Association (CIFFA) for that period shows that all Alberta fires were categorized by as being ‘human-caused’ and thus preventable (“human-caused” can mean any form of human-related interaction, from a power line sparking a tree branch, to negligent campers, to intentional acts, etc.). This paper reviews relevant fire risk information related to the events of May 2016 in the Fort McMurray fire, demonstrating that a combination of human-caused interaction or negligence, human-caused lack of governmental attention to recommendations from previous reports on similarly catastrophic wildfires in the same region, in conjunction with the natural warming climate anomalies of El Nino Southern Oscillation and cyclical effects of Pacific Decadal Oscillation and natural biological aging of conifers were drivers of the Fort McMurray wildfires, not human-caused global warming. The author gratefully acknowledges Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada and the Minister of Natural Resources for permission to reproduce relevant archival fire weather maps.

Ecological response of a shallow boreal lake to biomanipulation and catchment land-use: integrating paleolimnological evidence with information from limnological surveys and maps

We reconstructed 150 years of ecological change in a shallow boreal lake located on the east shore of the Baltic Sea by integrating different types of environmental evidence: paleolimnological records (XRF-measured elements, fossil pigments and Cladocera assemblages), information from historical limnological surveys and archival maps. We assessed the role of biomanipulation by liming and fish-removal in the disappearance of submerged macrophytes, such as Lobelia dortmanna L., and their replacement by persistent cyanobacterial blooms. The combination of different strands of evidence revealed that the shift from macrophyte to cyanobacterial dominance was part of a long-term ecological response to eutrophication and increased sediment load from catchment disturbances. The findings demonstrate that a gradual loss of wetlands and increase of ditches in a catchment had a more significant effect on the lake ecosystem, compared to the direct, but short-term impact of biomanipulation. The study highlights the importance of catchment land-use and disturbance by ditches in changing the ecology of boreal water bodies. Also, it illustrates that a thorough understanding of the long-term ecosystem dynamics and differentiation among responses to multiple anthropogenic impacts are essential preconditions for addressing the deterioration of habitats and change in aquatic environments.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOLOGICAL MAP OF THE ENVIRONS OF SHCHYRETS NEAR LVIV

The Badenian (Middle Miocene) gypsum occurring in the Carpathian Foredeep basin is exposed in a great number of locations in Ukraine, including the environs of Shchyrets, 25 km SSW of Lviv. In this area the potential stratotype of the Badenian gypsum is exposed, known as the Tyras Suite in Ukraine. The area is also of great scientific value because of the anhydrite rocks exposed at the Pisky quarry (near Shchyrets). Recently, unique forms of caves known as hydration caves or swelling caves have been formed in the weathering zone of this anhydrite. In the territory of Ukraine, both morfological and geological cartographic data are incomplete. Nowadays, available archival documents need updating. This paper describes the way of preparation of a new, updated version of the geological map of Shchyrets environs in three-dimensional space (3D). The topographic and archival geological maps were used, which were subjected to process of vectorization. The main part of the work was done in ArcGIS 10.1. Usefulness of the constructred 3D map for quantitative geomorphological and geological analysis is shown on selected examples.

Understanding Ebb Channel Dynamics through Locational Probability Analysis of Historical Maps: A Comparable Study

This study explores mesoscale estuarine dynamics and geomorphological evolution as digitised from historical maps. Estuarine ebb channel positions from the UK Ordnance Survey Old maps which covered 168, 125 and 132 years for Hayle, Gannel and Camel Estuaries, respectively, were analysed through time-weighted locational probability maps, and these were evaluated for channel behaviour over decades to centuries in the context of historical changes. These three estuarine systems, which are located in southwest England, have received considerable attention in terms of the impacts of mining on estuarine sedimentation but none on ebb channel dynamics. The results show that there are relatively marked differences in meandering pattern between the mid/inner sections of the estuaries in comparison with inlet and outer section of the systems. The most stable areas of the three systems are the inlets while there are limited shifts in length and width of the ebb channel within the systems. The examinations of the pixel data from the final probability maps from each of the systems indicate that high probability dominates the inlet region of Hayle and Camel, while the inner sections of the two estuaries show evidence of increased variability. Gannel, on the other hand, reported over two-thirds of its section in higher probability class. Sea-level rise, climate forcings and human intervention are observed to exert significant controls on the ebb channel dynamics in the study areas. This study has, therefore, shown the possibility of extracting important geomorphological features and dynamics from historical and archival survey maps.

Harbour-side land parcel land-use changes: significance in re-development planning permit appraisal in Melbourne, Australia

Results are presented of spatial query at the land parcel level of a (digital) spatial database, referring to the twentieth century Harbour-side zone of the Port of Melbourne. They refer mainly to land-use histories of individual land parcels. Such histories can be now deployed routinely in decision support during assessment of heritage potential in aid of re-development/excavation permit appraisal.Such query has long been possible in a general way: the innovation brought forward in this presentation refers to the new level of detail that is achieved by adopting digital spatial database query. The prerequisite for such query is the kind of digital spatial database that we have built from imposing spatial compatibility on archival maps and air photos.It is argued that much interest will attach to implementing the spatial database building process exemplified in this paper for decision-making in planning permit appraisal. For instance, contaminated ground might be better identified. Modern data handling tools make this feasible in a routine way if the necessary data and information flow paths and data sharing can be arranged.

Changes in Forest Composition in Ohio Between Euro-American Settlement and the Present

Abstract In Ohio Euro-American settlement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries subjected forests to large scale disturbances, including widespread clearance. In the subsequent two centuries, some of this land has reforested. To describe changes in forest composition since settlement, we used archival maps of U.S. Public Land Survey records to characterize forest composition just before large scale Euro-American settlement in 27 Ohio counties. We then compared this with modern composition patterns from the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Inventory Analysis. Presettlement forests displayed strong spatial structure and regional differentiation. Counties in northwest Ohio were dominated by beech (Fagus grandifolia; mean relative abundance: 26.9%), whereas southeast Ohio counties were dominated by oaks (Quercus spp.; 50.1%). Modern forests, however, had weaker spatial structure and were dominated by oak species in both regions (24.0% and 22.4%, respectively). Overall, we found a decrease in previously domina...

Productive Mis-mappings: Critical Disorientations on the University of South Carolina’s Historic Horseshoe

Located at the heart of the University of South Carolina campus is the historic Horseshoe—originally the South Carolina College campus (est. 1801)—a site whose construction during the antebellum years relied on enslaved labor. Ghosts of the Horseshoe is a cross-College, collaborative “critical interactive” for iPad that features the Horseshoe campus and endeavors to make visible this unacknowledged history. The application uses as its dedicated navigational interface a historic 1884 Sanborn Fire Insurance map of the site; participants can also activate a Google Map overlay of the site and determine its degree of opacity with respect to the archival map image. Importantly, however, the two maps do not actually “map” onto each other. This serves as a first mis-mapping of several mis-mappings. This article considers how such mis-mappings, involving geo-locative contingencies, representational disjunctions, and potential dis-locations, mediate site-specific explorations and, as such, make possible alternative historiographic understandings of place.

Wounded Spaces: When Planning Degraded Cairo’s Urban Memory

This paper examines the position of planning practices operated under precise guidelines for displaying modernity. Cultivating the spatial qualities of Cairo since the 1970s has unveiled centralised ideologies and systems of governance and economic incentives. I present a discussion of the wounds that result from the inadequate upgrading ventures in Cairo, which I argue, created scars as enduring evidence of unattainable planning methods and processes that undermined its locales. In this process, the paper focuses on the consequences of eviction rather than the planning methods in one of the city’s traditional districts. Empirical work is based on interdisciplinary research, public media reports and archival maps that document actions and procedures put in place to alter the visual, urban, and demographic characteristics of Cairo’s older neighbourhoods against a backdrop of decay to shift towards a global spectacular. The paper builds a conversation about the power and fate these spaces were subject to during hostile transformations that ended with their being disused. Their existence became associated with sores on the souls of its ex-inhabitants, as outward signs of inward scars showcasing a lack of equality and social justice in a context where it was much needed.

Report from field reconnaissance at Gebelein, Khozam and el-Rizeiqat

A field reconnaissance in the region of Gebelein, Khozam and el-Rizeiqat in 2013 was aimed at obtaining information on site topography and state of preservation, even as it tested mobile GIS devices and remote sensing analysis to improve usage procedures in field prospection. Archival maps and satellite imaging were used to locate archaeological features, analyze changes of landscape and modern expansion of the cultivation zone from the natural alluvial plain into the low desert area.

The evaluation of archival maps in geohistorical research

Abstract The array of archival maps from the 19th and 20th centuries is very large and, in order to assess their reliability for a particular analysis, some kind of evaluation form must be used. The proposed evaluation form comprises both formal and quantitative criteria, enriched with the maps’ elaboration circumstances, which may influence their reliability. These factors are also applied at both the spatial and attribute levels of information. Guidelines include: the scope of content, the map’s mathematical precision, the descriptive information correctness, the time reference of the content, and the information transfer efficiency.

The destruction of natural river reaches due to improper land development - an example of the valleys of Czadeczka and Krężelka rivers (Beskid Śląski Mts) / Niszczenie naturalnych odcinków koryt rzecznych na skutek niewłaściwej zabudowy – przykład dolin Czadeczki i Krężelki (Beskid Śląski)

Abstract Channels of Czadeczka and Krężelka rivers (Beskidzie Śląski Mts) are at present subjected to regulation because of which these rivers have lost their natural character, partially still preserved. The reasons for the river regulation have been analysed. Using archival maps, the buildings erection time has been analysed on valley floors, in the immediate vicinity of river channels for the period 1790-2012. Next, the distribution of existing buildings has been compared with hydraulic structures in the channels developed in order to regulate the Czadeczka and the Krężelka reaches, such as: concrete and stone embankments reinforcing the channel banks, check dams on channel bottoms. Results indicate a strong correlation between the number of buildings on valley floors in the 20th century and channel regulation. The mechanism of destroying rare, preserved natural river reaches is based on irrational permission allowing construction of buildings in areas threatened by floods and lateral erosion of rivers. Consequently, the inhabitants, in fear of floods and erosion of land or house foundations, seek river regulation that gives them a false sense of security. Natural river reaches are destroyed though efficient protection against floods and lateral erosion is still not provided and the range of possible losses increases even more due to continued building erection.

Review of the methods of cartographic presentation of warfare

Abstract Maps, depicting the warfare, are elaborated according to the rules developed over the years. Although, they are not free of errors. The authors draw our attention to the diversity of methods related to the cartographic presentations, which are shown on the historical maps. This is quite understandable, because every such a map introduces an individual point of view on the historical facts. It is noted, that the most commonly used methods are the qualitative ones, among which, for instance, first of all, the method of signature is frequently used. In the case of historical maps displaying an event in the specific sequence of times, a loss of cartographic information always occur. This is connected both with the complexity of historical facts and with the difficulty in reading a map, which should present the dynamics of this phenomenon in a complete way. The dynamic variables, such as the time of exposure, duration, frequency, order, degree of change and synchronisation, should be taken into account on the maps of warfare. The use of information technology makes it possible to develop not only the simple maps presenting the course of warfare in the statistic and schematic ways, but also the maps, which are rich in various types of multimedia information. Multimedia cartographic presentations can be enriched with the photos and panoramas showing the direct effects of warfare and the pseudo three-dimensional visualization showing the battle from a selected direction. The proprietary software let to combine the sequence of photos into a presentation, allowing to take a virtual tour of the areas directly affected by the hostilities. Network services, such as WMS, WFS, WCS, provide the integrated data from the different sources for us. So, we can connect the archival maps with the contemporary satellite images, defining, thus, the location of a specific place in the terrain. The authors do not cover the issue of complexity connected with the elaboration of maps presenting the combat operations. The most important problems, which have not been discussed in this article, are the following ones: lack of base maps from the period to which the presented issues related, deliberate distortion of map contents, historical and cartographic imprecisions presented on the maps, appropriate selection of the methods of cartographic presentation related to the phenomena, which are presented on the maps.

Адаптация в ГИС архивных карт поволжских губерний съемки А.И. Менде

Abstract: At present many-page archive maps which are not computer-adapted are becoming available from archival storage, libraries and private collections. We are presenting the results of processing five topographic boundary maps of The Volga Region (including Tver, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Nizhni Novgorod, Simbirsk) out of 8 maps surveyed by A. I. Mende for providing automated access when applying GIS and Internet technologies. The main objectives of the research are creation of raster electronic maps on combining the pages of archive maps, the following formation of maps for geoportals, integration with the data from the other sources. Taking into account a big number of pages in a map, we are proposing a method of virtually combining the pages of a map into one united representation with its factual separation into a system of raster electronic maps for GIS. Virtual combination of the pages is made by representing separate pages into a formed network of pages whose parameters are defined as a result of solving an optimization task according to the data of registration in GIS of the test pages. After that, some other formats of the maps are formed: for the programs of integration of Google Earth, SAS Planeta and Internet realization through Google MAP API. In the Internet access mode there are functions of joint navigation, coordinates reading and coordinates transition: searching on modern and archive populated areas, reading the page URL condition, applying vector data. The formed complexes of raster maps can be used in applied research work (changing the amount of forests, distribution of windmills) and they form a united zone with Russian and foreign resources.

What Kind of Transit-Oriented Development? Using Planning History to Differentiate a Model for Sustainable Development

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is frequently cited as a planning strategy which facilitates sustainability transitions on urban and regional levels. Its supporters emphasize its innovative nature, but this tends to downplay the importance of the long history of transit-oriented strategies. This study examined whether scrutinizing planning history, particularly regarding rural–urban interplay, can differentiate TOD strategies and facilitate a discussion on desirable kinds of future TOD. The analysis used the case of the town Skurup in Sweden, tracing its partial dependencies on past planning and urban development through archival studies, maps, interviews and field studies. Particular attention was paid to the establishment of the rurban village in the late 19th century and to modern planning in the 1960s. It was concluded that the “divergence” from the TOD strategy of the former period and the “similarities” with modern planning need to be critically discussed in developing future TOD strategies. Based on the case, strategies for going beyond modern planning and referring more clearly to earlier TOD approaches are suggested, not least in order to maintain the cultural heritage of the town and its hinterland.

Советские и германские карты периода Великой Отечественной войны на геопортале архивных карт XVIII–XX вв.

Советские и германские карты периода Великой Отечественной войны на геопортале архивных карт XVIII–XX вв.

Long-term agricultural land-cover change and potential for cropland expansion in the former Virgin Lands area of Kazakhstan

During the Soviet Virgin Lands Campaign, approximately 23 million hectares (Mha) of Eurasian steppe grassland were converted into cropland in Northern Kazakhstan from 1954 to 1963. As a result Kazakhstan became an important breadbasket of the former Soviet Union. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 triggered widespread agricultural abandonment, and much cropland reverted to grasslands. Our goal in this study was to reconstruct and analyze agricultural land-cover change since the eve of the Virgin Lands Campaign, from 1953 to 2010 in Kostanay Province, a region that is representative of Northern Kazakhstan. Further, we assessed the potential of currently idle cropland for re-cultivation. We reconstructed the cropland extent before and after the Virgin Lands Campaign using archival maps, and we mapped the agricultural land cover in the late Soviet and post-Soviet period using multi-seasonal Landsat TM/ETM+ images from circa 1990, 2000 and 2010. Cropland extent peaked at approximately 3.1 Mha in our study area in 1990, 38% of which had been converted from grasslands from 1954 to 1961. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, 45% of the Soviet cropland was abandoned and had reverted to grassland by 2000. After 2000, cropland contraction and re-cultivation were balanced. Using spatial logistic regressions we found that cropland expansion during the Virgin Lands Campaign was significantly associated with favorable agro-environmental conditions. In contrast, cropland expansion after the Campaign until 1990, as well as cropland contraction after 1990, occurred mainly in areas that were less favorable for agriculture. Cropland re-cultivation after 2000 was occurring on lands with relatively favorable agro-environmental conditions in comparison to remaining idle croplands, albeit with much lower agro-environmental endowment compared to stable croplands from 1990 to 2010. In sum, we found that cropland production potentials of the currently uncultivated areas are much lower than commonly believed, and further cropland expansion is only possible at the expense of marginal lands. Our results suggest if increasing production is a goal, improving crop yields in currently cultivated lands should be a focus, whereas extensive livestock grazing as well as the conservation of non-provisioning ecosystem services and biodiversity should be priority on more marginal lands.

Dirt road: A geomorphological and geochemical record of Late-Holocene human activity in the catchment of Lake Radacz (Central Pomerania, Poland)

The paper offers a discussion of the record of human activity in the relief and sediments of a selected lake catchment in Central Pomerania in Poland. One of the basic markers of human activity here is a change in the lake-water level. The dropping level (on average, 1 m/100 years) made it possible for people to develop successively exposed stretches of land along the shore. An analysis of the Polish National Archeological Records and archival maps showed that human development and impact appeared in the lakeshore zone as early as the Neolithic. In Central Pomerania, the changes were especially intensive in the Late Holocene; in the catchment of the lake under study they included a 100% increase in the length of nearby roads. In the archives of its paleoenvironmental data, most traces have been left on farming terraces, while a poorly studied form of record of human activity is a dirt road running parallel to the shoreline. Geodetic and geochemical examination has revealed that the road is a stimulant of change. Its wheeled traffic mixes the accumulated and eroded material, and this causes changes in the shoreline section: the road cutting, which is 2 m wide, deepened, while material accumulates in the form of 0.5-m-wide lateral bars. The compaction of the material brings about changes in the structure of the ground or soil (its density, porosity, compactness, moisture), which affects its level of oxygenation and waterlogging, and, consequently, its iron content. To establish this, a speciation analysis was carried out using the Fe(III)/Fe(II) ratio. It was determined that the lower the ratio, the higher the susceptibility of land to deformation owing to an increase in soil density, a drop in its water capacity, reduction conditions, and the predominance of Fe(II). The research discussed here is only a pilot study, but the authors see extensive opportunities for using speciation analysis in geoarcheology.