Cartographic Connections: Deciphering a Map

To decipher maps, several steps should be followed. Each step seeks pertinent information about the map and its context in both time and place.

1. Content: What is the map's title and/or what is the map about?
   • What part of the earth does it represent?
   • What is the scale of the map? >
   • How is the map oriented (that is, what direction is at the top of the map)?
   • Does the map depict the themes of geography:
     1. location
     2. place
     3. networks
     4. >human-environment interactions
     5. regional identity?
   • In what language(s) is the map prepared?
2. Authorship: Who made the map (cartographer and/or publisher)? Who were they?
3. Sponsorship: Who provided the incentive or funding for the map? >
4. Date: When was the map made?
5. Origin: Where was the map made?
6. Creation: By what processes was the map drafted and/or printed?
7. Audience: For whom was the map made?
8. Function: For what purpose(s) was the map intended, and how was it used?
9. Context: Where does the map fit in the past, what were its sources, and for what other maps did it serve as a source?

The above nine steps lead to the main historical focus:

Historical Source/Interpretation: What does the map tell us about its creator and his/her time?