Mapping a Disappearing Cultural Landscape: Digital Archiving in Action

28 August 2024  -  Society and Imperial College London, UK

Jadd Hallaj, a young consultant at LUGARIT, delivers a compelling presentation at the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2024, held from August 27 to 30 in London, UK. The conference, organized by the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) in collaboration with the Institute of British Geographers (IBG), is a prestigious gathering that annually attracts over 2,000 geographers from around the world.

This year’s conference theme, "Mapping," explored the significance of maps in our understanding of the world—from historical cartography to the latest digital mapping technologies. It provided a platform to discuss how maps trace historical and contemporary events, coordinate surveillance, and enable community building, among other vital functions.

Jadd Hallaj’s presentation, titled “Archiving Moated Homesteads in Northern Europe,” showcased independent research into the cultural landscape of moated homesteads within the Flemish countryside of Northern Europe. This research has been a passion project for Jadd and the result of a collaboration with the designer Elena Falomo over the last four years.  LUGARIT recognizes the relevance of the research findings, particularly the application of machine learning techniques on historical maps, for future work.

The presentation focused on the identification and documentation of these moated homesteads—once a critical part of the rural landscape and now threatened by urban sprawl. The research highlighted the alarming statistic that 45% of these sites have vanished in the last century, with another 45% partially lost. The remaining intact sites represent only 10% of what was once a widespread feature of the countryside.

The presentation also delved into the collaborative digital archive the team has built to preserve these cultural landscapes. By integrating extensive fieldwork, collaborative cartography, and custom machine learning tools, they identified thousands of potential moated sites across Flanders and Northern Europe. This initiative has not only preserved cultural heritage but also fostered community engagement, as seen in the Erasmus+ Living Summer School program. For the past four years, this program has connected students with local communities to design and implement sustainable practices for preserving these historic sites.

This innovative approach to using digital tools and community-driven research speaks to LUGARIT’s interests in leveraging modern technologies for preserving cultural heritage. This work stands as an example of the intersection of technology, community, and geography, embodying the conference's theme of mapping as a tool for understanding and shaping our world.

We invite you to learn more about Jadd's work and its implications for cultural preservation by visiting our website or reaching out directly to Jadd for further discussions on how such methodologies can be applied to other regions and contexts.

Header Photo

Historical image of an unidentified island of moated homesteads within the Flemish countryside of Northern Europe.  Photo Courtesy of Bernard Pauwels.

Back To News >