To the sources
Anyone who wants to understand the long-term evolution of a river landscape cannot limit themselves to a single type of source or a single period. That is why we focus on a diverse selection of visual, written, and statistical sources.
Historical maps
The most obvious source for gaining a detailed picture of a landscape in the past is a historical map. Maps are not only a snapshot of the topography; they also reflect a particular way of viewing the landscape. Both what is depicted and what is omitted reveal something about a society’s interaction with its environment. However, it is not easy to collect and utilize this information on a large scale and over the long term.
A description of the map collection within this project can be found here.
Image collections
Other visual representations also help to form a picture of a landscape, both literally and figuratively. For the relatively recent past, this primarily involves photographic material (e.g., photos of flooded regions). For the more distant past, researchers rely on paintings, prints, and illuminations.
Newspaper articles
Whereas maps and image collections tend to be implicit sources for understanding the landscape, newspapers explicitly present reactions, perspectives, and opinions. The focus is more on human experiences and social impact. Newspapers are therefore a rich, complementary source that reveals how the interaction between landscapes and communities was experienced.
Administrative reports
Not all opinions and plans are reflected in a newspaper. Administrative reports (e.g., on public works, fisheries, water quality, land-use planning, etc.) offer a different perspective. They document the when, how, and why of various interventions and changes. They also provide insight into the (legal) framework within which these changes and interactions took place. This makes them an indispensable link in the study of an evolving landscape.
Magazines
In addition to social impact and official plans, factual observations are also crucial. Surveys of fauna and flora, complaints about pollution and/or destruction, early calls for conservation and protection, … all these expressions of how the landscape was viewed, experienced, and defended can be found in the journals of nature conservation organizations.
Goal: a digital reconstruction
Historical-topographical data are taking on a new digital dimension thanks to the linking of historical (cadastral) maps to current landscape coordinates. This opens up possibilities for improved searchability, analysis, and visualization of this historical information. For example, the content of historical maps becomes textually searchable, and historical land use becomes comparable…
New datasets open the door to environmental studies, as well as to numerous other fields of application (spatial planning, historical research, archaeology, geography), enabling researchers to ask new questions and conduct different analyses. However, these datasets and other useful resources are not always easy to find and/or reuse. That is why work is underway to create a publicly accessible online platform where data and resources are brought together.
The purpose of this platform is to provide a starting point for both researchers and other stakeholders in their study of or interest in the (historical) Scheldt landscape. In this way, it contributes to a practical digital landscape reconstruction that can serve as a foundation for the long-term study of people and the environment.