Evidence for Cognitive Spatial Models from Ancient Roman Land-Measurement

Digital Approaches to Cartographic Heritage (13th Conference of the International Cartographic Association Commission on Cartographic Heritage into the Digital Madrid 18.-20.04.2018), 2018

Görz, Günther; Geus, Klaus; Michalsky, Tanja; Thiering, Martin: Spatial cognition in historical geographical texts and maps: towards a cognitive-semantic analysis of Flavio Biondo's "Italia Illustrata“. In: Boutoura, Chrysoula; Tsorlini, Angeliki (eds.): Digital Approaches to Cartographic Heritage (13th Conference of the International Cartographic Association Commission on Cartographic Heritage into the Digital Madrid 18.-20.04.2018). Thessaloniki: Laboratory of Cartography and Geographical Analysis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 2018, pp. 29-44.

2018

Bibliotheca Hertziana’s Biondo research group questions an epistemology of spaces and their changes in the early modern history. At focus are relations between historical maps and texts aiming to explore the historical understanding of spaces and the knowledge associated with it. We take up approaches from cognitive science and computational linguistics arguing that cognitive maps depict culture-specific spatial knowledge and practices. Our interdisciplinary project combines cognitive-semantic parameters such as toponyms, landmarks, spatial frames of reference, geometric relations, gestalt principles and different perspectives with computational and cognitive linguistic analysis. Using new text and map markup and corpus-specific quantitative methods, historical geographical texts are processed and reinterpreted. Long-term research questions are: Which forms of knowledge represent spatial relations? How can spatial transformation processes be represented and analyzed? What is the con...

Boutoura, Ch., Tsorlini, A. (Ed.): Digital Approaches to Cartographic Heritage. 13th Conference of the International Cartographic Association Commission on Cartographic Heritage into the Digital, Madrid, 2018, 29-44, 2018

Abstract. We present an interdisciplinary approach to implicit knowl-edge of spatial cognition in common sense geography. Structures such as, e.g., distance, scale, topology, trajectory and frames of reference are believed to be encoded as mental maps. Furthermore, we refer to com-mon sense as ‘naive ’ perception and descriptions of space and the use of ‘intuitive ’ arguments in geographical contexts. The empirical data sets comprise of ancient written texts from different periods and sources. Our methodology combines annotating and parsing techniques based on corpus data analysis as a (semi-) automated analysis and cognitive pa-rameters applied in cognitive linguistics. These parameters are based on gestalt-psychological principles such as figure-ground asymmetries. We argue that the survey of ancient texts provides further insights whether there are basic epistemological expressions of spatial orientation that might be candidates for universals. As a first example, we investigate

Technology and Culture, 2009

were informants, guides, linguists, translators, geographers, go-betweens, providers of water and food' (p. 125). While based on obvious deep scholarship, the book retains a flowing conversational style that is accessible to all, thereby rendering its notions even more powerful and potentially far-reaching. It is, in short, a delight to read. Yet one flaw in its overall design derives from the hinted foundation of these writings as a series of talks delivered to various audiences, leading to some redundancies in phrasing and a bit too much reiteration of the book's main themes. And rhetoric does not routinely beget practice, for despite the reprimand of our modern culture for not assigning proper credit where credit is due, given the book's revelations of widespread use of Native American guidance, one wishes for more disclosure of the personalities of these key agents, to breathe life into their departed spirits rather than simply naming them one after another: a litany of providers of local intelligence from the perspective of Euro-American exploration and control. The publication is richly illustrated and attractively produced in London by Reaktion Books, Ltd., and in addition to line drawings there is a wealth of expedition maps and detailed portions of maps that help tell the tale. While faults are few, instances of somewhat careless editing have resulted in the rare though annoying spelling error or inconsistency, such as Nullarbor and Nullabor (sic) on consecutive pages, or the middle name of indefatigable painter Titian Peale correctly showing up in one place as Ramsay, and in another as Ramsey (sic). But these minor issues need not detract from a worthy effort, one which should interest scholar and general reader alike. 'Cartographic Encounters' succeeds in what it has set out to accomplish, and not only positions discovery and exploration within critical historiography but awakens as well our sense of justice and long-overdue attribution.

The Visualization of Knowledge in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, 2020

W hy create a map of the world? For Claudius Ptolemy, writing in the mid-second century CE, such a project ranks among "the loftiest and loveliest of intellectual pursuits" because it completes our vision, and hence our understanding, of the cosmos (Geography 1.1). 1 We can see the heavens revolving around us and, from our observations, apprehend the nature of the celestial sphere. By contrast, neither the terrestrial sphere nor even the portion known to be inhabited, the ecumene (oikoumenē), is subject to autopsy. The earth, "being enormous and not surrounding us, cannot be inspected by any one person either as a whole or part by part." A graphic image must therefore take the place of the actual object. Only "a general view, analogous to. .. a portrait of the * I am indebted to Emily Albu, Adam S. Cohen, Georges Tolias, and Andrea Worm for their helpful feedback on drafts of this essay.

This paper places the concept of ‘common sense geography’ as developed by the members of Topoi research group C-5 within the context of ancient geographical literature. For the first time, a consistent model of arranging and classifying Greek and Roman geographical texts from a historical perspective is presented.

In the field of cartography, the distinction between conventional maps (e.g. plans) and alternative maps (mental and sensitive maps) is common. While conventional maps attempt to depict the physical environment objectively, alternative maps focus instead on the individuals' lived experience and their spatial knowledge. Both conventional and alternative maps are governed by the principle of Aristotle's excluded middle. They are mutually exclusive as they respectively objectify and subjectify a space that is considered to be real. Non-Aristotelian cartography transcends the Aristotelian bivalence by combining these two (apparently) antagonistic trends in the same mapping space. This novel approach of cartography, which is based on a logic of the included middle inspired by the tetralemma of Nāgārjuna (Catuṣkoṭi) and the work of Lupasco, considers spatiogenesis from a new perspective in light of three key concepts: (1) spatial potential, (2) spatial continuum, and (3) microgeographic spaces.

R.J.A. Talbert (ed.), Ancient Perspectives: Maps and their Place in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2012), 2012