Tutorials on 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!