Georeferencing Napoleonic Cartography to reconstruct Ancient Egypt landscapes: methods in comparison and the case of the island of iw-rd in the 16th nomos of Upper Egypt

Abstract

The Egyptian landscape over the millennia has been affected by geomorphological and urban changes that have also involved the hydrological scenery, with the consequent transformation of areas around watercourses. This paper aims to highlight the possibilities derived from the consultation of Napoleonic cartography for the study of the Egyptian landscape through GIS platforms, providing an innovative methodology for its georeferencing. The strengths of this resource, joined to the traditional research methods, will be illustrated through the case of the ancient island of iw-rd located in the 16th nomos of Upper Egypt.

Keywords

• historical cartography
• gis
• egyptian archaeology
• egyptology