A historical geographic information system (also written as historical GIS or HGIS) is a
geographic information system that may display, store and analyze data of past geographies and track changes in time. It can be regarded as a tool for
historical geography.
Techniques used in HGIS
Digitization and georeferencing of historical maps: Old maps may contain valuable information about the past. By adding coordinates to such maps, they may be added as a feature layer to modern GIS data: This facilitates comparison of different map layers showing the geography at different times. The maps may be further enhanced by techniques such as
rubbersheeting, which spatially warps the data to fit with more accurate modern maps.
Reconstruction of past boundaries: By creating
polygons of former political entities, administrative sub-divisions and other types of borders, their evolution as well as aggregated statistics can be compared through time.
Georeferencing of historical microdata (such as
census or parish records): This enables the use of spatial analysis to historical data.
Euratlas History Maps is a historical atlas of Europe from year 1 to present days with one map per century. The maps depict sovereign states as well as administrative divisions and dependent territories.
Great Britain Historical GIS is a GIS-enabled database holding diverse geo-referenced maps, statistics, gazetteers and travel writing, especially for the period 1801–2001 covered by British censuses. Created and maintained by
Portsmouth University.
HistoAtlas is an open historical geographical information system that tries to build a free historical atlas of the world.
Software or web services developed for Historical GIS
Google Earth added a time line feature in version 4 (2006) that enables simple temporal browsing of spatial data.[1]
TimeMap is a
Java open-source applet (or program) for browsing spatial-temporal data and
ECAI data sets. Developed by the department of archaeology University of Sydney.
Ian N. Gregory, Don Debats, Don Lafreniere eds.: The Routledge Companion to Spatial History. Routledge 2018
ISBN9781138860148
Joachim Laczny: Friedrich III. (1440–1493) auf Reisen. Die Erstellung des Itinerars eines spätmittelalterlichen Herrschers unter Anwendung eines Historical Geographic Information System (Historical GIS) In: Joachim Laczny, Jürgen Sarnowsky eds.: Perzeption und Rezeption. Wahrnehmung und Deutung im Mittelalter und in der Moderne (Nova Mediaevalia Quellen und Studien zum europäischen Mittelalter, 12), Göttingen: V&R unipress 2014, p. 33–65.
ISBN978-3-8471-0248-9,
doi:
10.14220/9783737002486.33
Anne Kelly Knowles: Past Time, Past Place: GIS for history A collection of twelve case studies on the use of GIS in historical research and education. ESRI press 2002
ISBN1-58948-032-5
Anne Kelly Knowles,
Amy Hillier eds.: Placing History: How Maps, Spatial Data, and GIS Are Changing Historical Scholarship 2008
ISBN978-1-58948-013-1
Ott, T. and Swiaczny, F.: Time-integrative GIS. Management and analysis of spatio-temporal data, Berlin / Heidelberg / New York: Springer 2001
ISBN3-540-41016-3