A historical atlas is a collection of maps and possibly illustrations that depict the
historical geography
Historical geography is the branch of geography that studies the ways in which geographic phenomena have changed over time. In its modern form, it is a synthesizing discipline which shares both topical and methodological similarities with histor ...
of a particular region at a defined time period. These atlases typically include maps that show the political and cultural boundaries of different states as well as other data, and in some cases illustrations that provide information about important historical events and figures. They may also include
timeline
A timeline is a list of events displayed in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events.
Timelines can use any suitable scale representing t ...
s, charts, and other information to help readers understand the historical context of the maps. Historical atlases are used by scholars, students, and general readers to study and learn about the past.
Some try to present the entire history of the world, such as the ''
Historical Atlas of the World'', while others are more specialised, for only one time period or location, such as the ''
Historical Atlas of the American West'' or ''
The Historical Atlas of China''.
The first known historical atlas may have been the ''Parergon'' by
Abraham Ortelius
Abraham Ortelius (; also Ortels, Orthellius, Wortels; 4 or 14 April 152728 June 1598) was a cartographer, geographer, and cosmographer from Antwerp in the Spanish Netherlands. He is recognized as the creator of the list of atlases, first modern ...
in 1579, which was a supplement to the .
William R. Shepherd produced a well-known historical atlas in 1911.
The first published historical atlas in systematically chronological order was the 1651 six-map atlas ''La Terre sainte en six cartes géographiques'', covering the historical
cartography of Palestine. The six maps covered land of Canaan and the Exodus, the Promised Land, Solomon's kingdom, the land of the Jews at the time of Christ, the Christian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and the modern region.
See also
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OpenHistoricalMap
References
External links
Individual digitised historical atlases
F. W. Putzgers Historischer Schul-Atlas, Ausgabe von 1905F. W. Putzgers Historischer Schul-Atlas, Ausgabe von 1914Richard Andree: ''Professor G. Droysens Allgemeiner Historischer Handatlas'', 1886R. Lane Poole: ''Historical Atlas of Modern Europe'', 1900Geschichtlicher Atlas von HessenHistorischer Atlas von Sachsen (1815)(ein Angebot der 'Digital South Asia Library')
Joseph E. Schwartzberg, A Historical Atlas of South Asia, second impression.Digitalisierungsprojekt Wilhelmshöher Kriegskarten
Digital only projects
Omniatlas - Interactive Atlas of World HistoryRunning Reality - any day in historyCentennia Historical AtlasSome animated mapsDigital historical maps from the Institut für Europäische Geschichte, Mainz, Germany
Other
Maps and History. Constructing Images of the Past
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