Mapping the End of the World Technology and Antarctic Cartography
Type of content
UC permalink
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
Authors
Abstract
Maps are used either as a way to communicate knowledge or, in the display of data, as a way to synthesize knowledge. Throughout history cartography has been used for both of these purposes and the result is that maps have become objects that tell a story, not only of the geography of a place but the also politics and power of that era. Antarctic cartography is an excellent example of this as the exploration of the continent has been confined to a period of rapid technological change. The interplay between technology and the use of cartography as a means of communicating or synthesizing knowledge is reflected in the literature that describes these events. The following study reviews a range of literature and discusses how the interaction between technology, cartography and knowledge in the history of Antarctica is represented in these texts.