What use are maps?

Why are maps made?

How many of you have used a map? What did you use it for? Today, many of us use maps to tell us where something is or to find out how to get somewhere. But this is not the only reason why maps are created. Here are a few other reasons:

• to show who owned land
• to record what land was used for
• to show the location of natural resources
• to determine political boundaries
• to show transport links

Maps are very useful to historians because they contain so much information. By looking at a map from a particular date, historians can find out a lot of information about the way in which the land was used and, therefore, how people lived.

 

 

 

What can they tell us?

Have a look at this map. It was drawn up in 19?? and shows the city centre.

Use the legend (key) to find out what the different numbers in the Market Place mean.

What else can we find out about Durham City Centre at this date just from looking at this map?

What can't we tell from just looking at this map?

 

Finished? Why not find out about how else historians can use maps?