We are pleased to announce a new publication by GIAP researcher Dr. Ekta Gupta, featured as a book chapter in Spatial Narratives of India’s Heritage: Integrating Geospatial Analysis in the Humanities (Springer, Singapore). The chapter, titled “Early Cartographic Records of India: Scopes, Challenges, and Approaches in Heritage Studies”, explores the potential of historical maps as valuable sources for understanding past landscapes.
To access this article: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-0117-5_2
Abstract: Early spatial records such as maps, plans, and landscape views and profiles are graphical representations of some physical, political, social, and cultural aspects of the real world in a simplified, reduced, and abstract form. The late medieval and early modern periods in India have witnessed the production of a variety of indigenous and European spatial records at different scales. These records provide graphical details of locations and serve as a valuable source of information on historical geography and old-built structures. Due to their inherent equivocacy, they offer multiple interpretations and possibilities for newer insights. However, they can be fallible, and if we study them, ignoring the historical context and without validating the content, they may be misused, misinterpreted, or ignored. Integration of these historical maps and views of varied dimensions and types can provide a palimpsest of historical activities. Satellite images and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) present a valuable opportunity to read them, validate them, and unlock the concealed information present in them, revealing valuable insights into past landscapes and rediscovering forgotten heritage. The present chapter reviews the potential of early maps and landscape views in archaeological studies and discusses the challenges of studying historical cartographic records and the methods to investigate them more scientifically through case studies and examples.
Full reference: Gupta, E. (2025). Early Cartographic Records of India: Scopes, Challenges, and Approaches in Heritage Studies. In: Rajani, M. (eds) Spatial Narratives of India’s Heritage: Integrating Geospatial Analysis in the Humanities. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-0117-5_2
