Early Modern Mapathons

Downloading and Installing QGIS

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Go to https://qgis.org/
Click the ‘Download’ button on the top right of the page. It will take you to a donation page, which you can skip by clicking the orange ‘skip it and go to download’ button underneath the donation amount block.
You should now see a page that looks like this:

Click the dropdown menu to select your computer’s operating system:

For Windows Users

After you select your operating system, you’ll be given a choice of which version of QGIS to download.

Introduction to GIS Tutorial

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When working with GIS (Geographic Information Systems), you need to build a map by adding different components. These components primarily consist of data layers, which provide the geographic and attribute information necessary to visualize and analyze spatial relationships. The most common type of data used in GIS is vector data, though raster data is also sometimes incorporated depending on the project requirements.

Understanding GIS Layers

In a GIS project, information is structured in layers, where each layer represents a specific type of geographic data. A complete GIS project typically consists of multiple layers that work together to create a meaningful and interactive map. Below are the primary layers used in GIS projects:

How to Georectify Historic Maps Tutorial

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How to Georectify Historic Maps in QGIS

Load the Historic Map
- Open QGIS.
- Go to Raster > Georeferencer.
- Click Open Raster and select your scanned historic map.
Set the Coordinate Reference System (CRS)
- Click Settings > Transformation Settings.
- Choose a CRS that matches your project (e.g., EPSG:4326 for WGS 84).
Add Control Points
- Click Add Point and select a known location on the historic map.
- Enter the real-world coordinates (or click From Map Canvas to choose from an existing GIS layer).
- Repeat for multiple control points across the map for accuracy.
Set Transformation Parameters
- Choose a transformation method (e.g., Thin Plate Spline or Polynomial 2).
- Set resampling method (e.g., Nearest Neighbor).
- Choose an output location for the rectified map.
Start Georeferencing
- Click Start Georeferencing to align the historic map with real-world coordinates.
- Once completed, the georectified map will be added as a layer in QGIS.
Adjust and Validate
- Adjust transparency in Layer Properties > Transparency to compare with the basemap.
- Check alignment with known features.

How to Georectify Historic Maps Online

Finding Historic Maps Online Tutorial

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Where can I find historic maps for my project?

Unless you can physically be in an archive and have permission to digitize a map yourself, the best place to find early modern maps is online. There are many online databases that contain digitized historic maps that you can download for free and are either in the public domain or may be used under creative commons license with attribution.*

*Remember, it is your responsibility to verify that the source you are using is not under copyright, or to obtain permission to use the copyrighted material!

Explore Early Modern Mapping Projects

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Early Modern Mapping Projects – Reference List

Visualizations

Death by Numbers
- DataScribe, Tropy, Omeka, data-driven historical research, GIS, data visualizations, London

GIS

Decima
- GIS, census data, population data, Florence, georectified historic map
La Sfera
- Manuscripts, Maps, trade routes, Italy, Mediterranean world, navigation, interactive map
Mapping Mandeville Project
- Medieval, mappaemundi, the Hereford map, Sir John Mandeville, interactive image of digitized map (cities, people, monsters, legends, etc), annotated image.
Books of Duchesses: Mapping Women Book Owners 1350-1550
- Maps data related to medieval laywomen and their books, interactive map of Europe, network analysis/visualization
The Atlas of Early Printing
- Interactive map, early history of printing in Europe, 1450-1500
Mapping the Medieval Woman
- Interactive map, annotated image, medieval France, urban history
The Berwickshire Place-Name Resource
- Scotland, place-names, interactive map, modern or historical base map, 1000-1900
The Map of Early Modern London (MoEML)
- GUI – Graphical user interface, early modern London

StoryMap

GIS Teaching/Learning Resources

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Use this guide for further reading and finding resources to both teach GIS and learn more about GIS. The guide is divided into ‘General GIS Resources,’ ‘QGIS Resources,’ and ‘ArcGIS Resources.’

General GIS Resources

University Resources/Lib Guides

Michigan Technological Institution
- Locating Historical Maps/Finding Historic Datasets
UPenn
- Historical Maps: Making Map Overlays
- Historical Maps: Finding Maps
George Mason University
- InfoGuide: Humanities GIS
- Resources for Spatial Humanities

QGIS Resources

QGIS Documentation

QGIS Training Manual

University Resources/Lib Guides

Historical Mapathons: Autumn Info Session at Virginia Tech

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Info Session for Historical Mapathons this Spring
Open to all!

Monday, October 7th,
5:15PM-7:45 PM
Athenaeum
(1st Floor of Newman Library)

Pizza will be served
Zoom link available on request

Mapathon Events

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mapathons is now recruiting interested participants for two events at Virginia Tech and George Mason University in Spring 2025.

Drop in, or join us for a full day of collaboration and (friendly) competition to transform seventeenth-century maps of Virginia, England, and Europe into publishable data layers.

Transforming maps into georeferenced data will support the work of other students, educators, and scholars interested in spatial and environmental history. Examples of related projects include Early Modern Digital Itineraries, Dangerous Harbor, and Death by Numbers.