Digital mapping can be very helpful in the quest to understand the past. Digital mapping can expose where individuals lived, worked or frequented. This can show how individuals lived their lives and what was important or necessary for them. The general locations an individual lives in can explain what their everyday life would look like. Based on the town an individual lived in you can understand how their environment would influence their actions. This is especially beneficial for historians. If a number of scientists live in the same general area and made a ground breaking discovery, it can be assumed that they likely met and may have worked off of or with each other. Where people live can show who interacts with who. Mapping this digitally can make the study of where people lived more accessible. It is also much easier and precise to perform these tasks electronically rather than by hand, the likelihood of human error is higher when mapping very precise locations by hand.
Kara Smith