The Greeks first introduced cartography by flattening the earth into a multitude of two-dimensional shapes that preserve specific traits of the earth. The study of cartography is the art and science of map making and can date back to clay tablets in 2300 B.C. The word cartography is derived from the Greek words “chartes”, meaning sheet of papyrus, and “graphy”, meaning writing. This phrase was composed in the 19th century although the Portuguese scholar Manuel Francisco de Barros e Sousa was in need of a new word that would describe maps, and in-turn, created cartography. By the end of the 19th century the meaning of cartography had changed to the word for map drawing. Dot maps of constellations have dated back from 12,000 B.C. where cave paintings and rock carvings used visual elements that aided in the recognition of physical features. Dating back to 25,000 B.C. a map-like representation of a mountain, river and routes, which are located in Pavlov, Czech Republic. Cartography is so old, in fact, that it predates written language as a form of communication.
A map is much more then just a sheet of paper, a map is a product of human creativity and has been made since human prehistory to represent the concepts of humanity’s place in the world. They were created by imperial states as tools of power and used by individuals to aid in the understanding of the study itself. When asked to describe what cartography is, most will respond with it being both an art as well as a science. But in reality, it is best to be thought of as a craft that combines knowledge from both graphic design as well as mathematics. To thrive in the study of cartography, one must expand their skills in both of these areas. For thousands of years cartography...
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... that is being killed by technology. Twenty years ago cartography was on a sheet of paper and was considered an art form. But today, the creation of a map consists of pixels and digital animation programs that allow a computer to do the work, while the creator simply types in a few codes that instruct the program to create the map. Cartography consisted of technological components for a while, although, because of the constant improvement on computer software’s and its tools, the role that the job previously consisted of, is slowly deteriorating. The future that cartography holds all depends on technology and how it interprets such an art form that was so widely respected. Here are a few examples of today’s cartography, which is stated in (figure 1, and figure 2). Figure one, being a depiction of London, indicating Universities. Figure 2 depict elevation levels.
He suggests that the use of “electronic imaging prevents imagining and promotes thinking about architecture rather than bring architects, contractors, clients and critics to think within architecture” (275). Inspired by Frascari, the strategy of technography is encouraged (278). This is a “different way of thinking about the relationship between a [working] drawing and a future building. Rather than “simply Cartesian, technical lines showing edges, corners and joints these technographic drawings reveal both the symbolic and instrumental representations of the future building.. it is to make visible what is invisible”. Ridgway remarks, “The fact that any of this could be considered contentious indicates that extent to which architects have become alienated from the heart of their profession” (279). He asserts, “Part of any technography must be an acknowledgement of the historical context of construction knowledge. This is not only so we can better understand our rich architectural ancestry, but because it re-establishes a connection with the origins of our profession in building” (279). Rather than a “miniature projected representation of an imagined building, details are drawn as poetic constructions themselves, following the logic of drawing and not building and representing the “built detail symbolically, in addition to instrumentally. The symbolic and practical are one and the same thing” (280). “What are the symbolic qualities we are trying to embody in our buildings and how would we represent them in drawings?” becomes the question (278). These drawing “may not be easy or straightforward to understand or interpret.
...’s book accomplishes a lot in its timid three hundred pages, it lacks more examples of modern architecture and historical landmarks such as the ones discussed above. Also, the lack of chronological order is a new approach, but it might not appeal to all readers.
In the short story Incognita, Inc. by Harlan Ellison, we explore the idea of topography and how it serves as a map. The story mainly focuses a man named Charles Trimbach who works for a company known as Incognita Inc. which had been acquired by an enterprise called Worldspan. Charles Trimbach is sent to his hometown Chicago to close down a small map shop owned by his corporation. As Charles Trimbach, goes to talk to the owner about closing down his shop, he takes a trip down memory lane and remembers coming to this shop when he was younger looking for something he had lost, and the shop owner gave him a map that helped him find his lost item. Maps have been around for a long time. They have served as guidelines to the
To exemplify, Cartography- the study and practise of making maps played an important role in travel and navigation since ancient times this idea originating in ancient Greece. 3 Further examining Anaximander (610-546 BC) a pioneer cartographer who created a map of the world would aid historians in understanding ancient Greeks view of the world. As a reputed cartographer, Anaximander presented the world including the inhabited regions, showing the Greeks desire to conquer at that time. This world map that he created established the great importance Greeks had on themselves in relation to the world. Cartographer and philosopher Anaximander made immense contributions in the field of cartography and geography especially with this detailed map of the world 9. A civilization is only as good as the individuals it encompasses, with individuals such as Anaximander who make such profound contributions to the civilization as a whole, it is indisputable the ancient Greece is the greatest civilization in the ancient western
Building from my background of art and architecture, I have developed an understanding for both creativity and the technical. Through the years, the analysis of artworks evolved my ability to look closer at elements of art to find the cultural influences and perception of the artist. I consider the city itself to be a living piece of art, which can be broken down into comprehensible list of elements similar to those used in analyzing artworks. In recent years, the architectural classes have offered me a more technical way to view the city and individual buildings. Learning about the int...
Until the 1950s, Atlases were mostly comprised of maps that simply show space and place. However in 1953, the World Geo-Graphic Atlas, published by Walter Paepcke’s Container Corporation of America (CCA) with Herbert Bayer, changed people’s notion of what maps look like and what information they contain. Bayer believed, that maps were “a record of time and perhaps even a tool of prognostication.” By the use of Isotypes (International System of Typographic Picture Education), Bayer created an atlas that is universal, therefore allowed viewers to understand complex data more clearly and easily.
3. After the purchase of land (cookie) and equipment, the cookie was placed on the graph paper and its outline was traced. Then, the initial topography of the region was determined and recorded (Turn the cookie on its side and draw the side-view).
In the book “Why Geography Matters More Than Ever”, the author, Harm de Blij, discusses the importance of geography, how it can affect us in any place or any time, and why it matters. But most importantly, he succeeds to advance our perception of the world’s geography. Throughout the book de Blij highlights the many benefits of being educated about geography. He explains that it is important that we are informed about this topic so we can be more prepared for the events happening around the world. This book illustrates just how essential it is to be well-educated when it comes to geography.
...regarded GPS – an indispensable part of GIS. Discussions on cartographic principles, commercial GIS software programs, satellite images, aerial photos, and geodatabases are some of the other conspicuous omissions in this book. There is an inconsistency in the depth of topics explored; for example map projections are explored in great depth, while vector topology is merely glossed over. These omissions and inconsistencies would in my opinion make this book marginally less beneficial to all the three audiences together. However, there is something for all them; structure for engineers, equations for engineers and students, and GIS concepts for students, engineers and users. This book will therefore be undeniably valuable if used to complement the material in some of the other fundamental GIS books in the discipline. It has merits, but there is room for improvement.
Since the beginning of humankind, the study of geography has captured the imagination of the people. In ancient times, geography books extolled tales of distant lands and dreamed of treasures. The ancient Greeks created the word "geography" from the roots "ge" for earth and "grapho" for "to write." These people experienced many adventures and needed a way to explain and communicate the differences between various lands. Today, researchers in the field of geography still focus on people and cultures (cultural geography), and the planet earth (physical geography).
Historical geographer JB Harley wrote an essay on Map Deconstruction in 1989, in which Harley argues that a map is more than just a geographical representation of an area, his theory is that we need to look at a map not just as a geographical image but in its entire context. Harley points out that by an examination of the social structures that have influenced map making, that we may gain more knowledge about the world. The maps social construction is made from debate about what it should show. Harley broke away from the traditional argument about maps and examined the biases that govern the map and the map makers, by looking at what the maps included or excluded. Harley’s “basic argument within this essay is that we should encourage an epistemological shift in the way we interpret the nature of cartography.” Therefore Harley’s aim within his essay on ‘Deconstructing the Map’ was to break down the assumed ideas of a map being a purely scientific creation.
In ancient civilizations, geography affected them in so many ways, like the climate, resources, and the landscape that they use. The climates affect them because monsoons were offend common that brought heavy rain and wind to the area. The mountains provided them with protection against invasions, but the mountains were also used for trading with other to get the resources that they needed.
The claim being discussed here is that the only way a map or a way of representing things can be useful is if it simplifies the knowledge that the actual territory gives, that is, if it reduces the salient i...
...arena. 500 years ago there was a shift from transcription of texts by hand to a much more efficient process of duplication. The internet has made strides in making the printed book obsolete in the same way. More and more people are retiring their old encyclopedias in exchange for the internet’s fast and broader database of information. The comparison between the printing press and the internet highlights the pattern in which history unfolds. Rufus Historie is famously quoted for saying, “History follows a pattern of events that recur in different eras.” It is true. New inventions evolve and replace the old, the new inventions too become dated and are replaced by something newer. The pattern present in the evolution of handwritten texts to the printing press to the internet represents the cycle of human technological advancement; out with the old, in with the new.