Mapping the History of Tamil Civilization

[IngersolNorway]

Dear All,

We are interested in developing a website to visualize historical Tamil sites. From my understanding, we require interactive and customizable open-source mapping tools with the ability to overlay maps and trace boundaries, with variations according to different time periods such as 500 BC and 1000 AD. We aim to provide coordinates for archaeological sites and inscriptions. The admin area should allow users to input coordinates, place names, descriptions, images, and other relevant information.
Could you please recommend the best approach for achieving this? Additionally, we would appreciate insights on the budget and timeframe required for this project.

Here's what we plan to do:

Landmarks: Next, we'll identify key landmarks or geographical features that existed during the ancient period. We'll pay close attention to changes that may have occurred over time due to natural processes or human intervention.

Trace Boundaries: We'll use the historical map as a reference to trace the ancient boundaries onto the current map. This can be done digitally using tracing tools.

Overlay Maps: Using online open-source mapping tools, we'll overlay the historical map onto the current map.

Add Contextual Information: We'll provide contextual information on the map, such as the names of ancient civilizations, cities, regions, and any relevant historical events or cultural phenomena that may have influenced the boundaries.

Labeling and Formatting: Clear labeling of boundaries, landmarks, and other features on the map is essential. We'll use appropriate fonts, colors, and symbols to distinguish between different elements and make the map visually appealing and easy to understand.

Document Your Sources: We'll include a bibliography or list of references citing the sources used to create the map. This will allow others to verify our research.

We believe this structured approach will ensure the accuracy and quality of the historical Tamil sites visualization project.

Regards,
Ingersol

[cosmobird]

First, i really appreciate for the tools, and means that the contribution is made for the Tamil language which i believe made several people's life easier and bring hope to use Tamil in everyone's personal computer without much pain.

I have few comments and concerns with the idea of mapping the Tamil Civilization :

1. The idea is ambitious given the complex nature of the history.
2. From outset, it appears like a Geospatial knowledge infrastructure creation for the Tamil Civilization
3. It involves lot of history which is more than chronology and events
4. The primary sources and secondary sources
5. What do we mean by "Historical Tamil Sites" ?? first of all
6. Such project would need support from working historians, archaeologists, and people from Tamil literature, linguists, epigraphy, manuscriptology, etc..
7. This necessarily needs a Thematic-Spatio-Temporal Framework (conceptual, yet also possible to implement as a means through FOSS)
8. Spatio-Temporal is achievable through several ways with organized data collection from existing digitzed / digitizable sources and with cooperation from concerned authorities, and established professors, and also from communities that democratize doing history in grounded manner, and from people who are interested in social and public history
9. Mapping also comes with attached question of who is going to own the consequence of providing pin point access to a particular location, provided if the site has a historically important hero stone for instance. The ground picture of safeguarding them, by concerned authorities should not add headache to their work - for ex: ASI workers who on daily basis estamp, collect and catalogue all available sources possibly.
10. The thematic dimension holds another highly complex historical process that needs unbiased documentation. This in my experience needs precise, careful, insightful and loving people in participation and not just only people good with FOSS and technology that are romanticized with heritage. Because anything that implied with technology are becoming increasingly not consequential and unaccountable.
11. Furthermore, the available resources always map what is available. We need approaches (possible) that actually encourages, pushes interested people to engage in learning history.
12. How are we going to address the part technology plays in using these resources in spreading pseudo science and false information ? Some moderation framework would do good
13. With intervention from belief systems and race for who came first been in constant rise, what mechanism is necessary for controlling it ? (this is more dangerous and have serious political implications and consequences)

I'm happy to be informed that the citation, bibliography will be provided along.

Regarding tools, i believe FOSS awesome ecosystem has enough tools, and talents to make such platform/tool.
I hope people already know about Mr. Udhayan's attempt at creating concordance, db for the Tamil inscriptions. Still a lot more has to do.... There is some level of concordance/glossary that he have created based on the collective FOSS skill and neat hacks. However, a public domain ontology is yet to be developed. This is in my view is really really really really complicated as the ontology will vary over time and space.

Tools :

• Scalar (AVNC)
• Mukruta CMS
• OAIS archival platform
• Digital scholar tools
• tropy - for RDM, enlisting, curation, local db, instead of spreadsheeting complicating
• omekas - for exhibiting the curated, archived resources
• Knightlab foundation tools
• D3 js, DC js
• Leaflet or OL3

I am contributing this comment based on my whatever little experience i have working with historians, people of literature, mathematics, archaeologists, epigraphists, etc... as foss enthusiast.

If there is anything that i have said might hurt, i didn't do it intentionally.

But i appreciate that such interests are emerging. However, i would like to stay critical about every inch of such work.
If i sound complicated, also sorry for that.

[Natkeeran]

Interesting project.

Focusing on the dataset first, before the software and visualization use cases would be valuable.

Any estimates about the number of items to be collected via this project? The number of items can impact the selection of tools.

A solution like this can meet many of your use cases: https://www.drupal.org/project/geofield_map.

https://www.archesproject.org/demo/ is suitable if you can take advantage of their data model. Arches is designed for traditional museums.