Explore the Map

The elements of the atlas are arranged as map layers on the interactive Imperiia Map (http://worldmap.harvard.edu/maps/886). Once there, pan, zoom, and toggle layers on and off to your heart's content.

For basic information about the map itself, click on the "About" tab.

Layers

The Imperiia Map contains more than 140 layers. These are arranged in categories displayed in a table of contents (left side of the screen). You can adjust the size of the table of contents by dragging the vertical bar. You can open and close a category by clicking on the wee arrowhead next to the category name.

Please note that the map contains many layers that are not related to the Piadyshev atlas. Those that are are clearly marked, with the exception of the georeferenced atlas image, which is located in the "Historical Maps" folder. 

To see the technical specifications for any map layer, right-click the layer in the table of contents and select "Share Layer". This will open the layer page. If the data is available for download directly from WorldMap, you will see the options here.

Features

A feature is a point (a village, for example), line (river or road), or polygon (administrative unit) contained within a layer. Click on any feature to see the attributes that come along with it (placenames, associated administrative units, etc.).

If you click and nothing happens, click on the "Identify" button on the main navigation bar. 

If you click and the resulting dialogue box references more than one feature, it is only because WorldMap wasn't sure whether you wanted to look at the village you selected or the road that runs through the village (for example). Just select the right "chapter" from the list of options in the box.

Searching

To search for a specific place (town, village, lake, river, etc.), be sure that the relevant layer is selected, then plug the search term into the search box in the bottom left of the screen. If the layer contains a hit, it will light up in an obnoxious, but easy to see, yellow.

Making Sense of What You See

Keep in mind that the main project site contains detailed information about each map layer. If you see something that interests you on the interactive map, try searching for it here. (During Fall 2016 links to the relevant Items will be embedded in the map layers.)

I highly recommend that you experiment with various layer combinations with an eye to gaining insights into the ways in which political authority and elements of human and physical geography came together to produce an empire. A few of my own attempts to do just that are logged in the "Observations" section of this site.

When Maps Misbehave

It is inevitable. When it happens, refreshing your browser usually makes everything right in the (digital) world.