(Image of the ECAI digital map)
After looking through a few different GIS projects I found the UC Berkeley ECAI project to be the most compelling. Essentially the idea of the project was to create a completely accessible world map that contained different cultural maps and details about the region selected. It is a cooperative project that incorporated the maps created by various institutions across the world. Each year meetings are held to update old maps or to add in historically significant snapshots of different geographical landscapes. The project works as a database containing an extensive collection of other scholars cultural maps, creating a network of accessible data from reliable sources. It serves as a place where scholars can utilize different maps from throughout history.
This can be regarded as an extremely useful digital tool because of its attachment to the academic community. By having a constantly updating system in which scholars provide maps with tremendous academic significance, the ECAI can function as a research tool. When looking at historical events and studying the climate or landscape, the ECAI would help provide a better visualization of these places. Researchers can use the maps provided in ECAI to get a better understanding of the details of certain historical events. To read about the significance of Russia’s landscape on battles fought against the Germans in World War 2 is one thing, but to get a lay out of the landscape, coupled with historical information is something different entirely. It says on the website that the ECAI “uses place and time as a common element” when researching history, a statement that very accurately explains the practicality and usefulness of the ECAI. I would definitely recommend this GIS project to anyone doing assignments based on battle strategies, migratory patterns, or any instance in which geography is a component of their research.
aroibas 