Unfolding the Earth

Fun with maps! Unfolding the Earth.

I came across this on Twitter by Nico Belmonte who does all sorts of interesting stuff with Data Visualization, Computer Graphics, Computational Design, Mathematical Art and Digital Fabrication.

Lots of options to 'unfold' the earth and see it in various perspectives. Have fun!

Chronologies, Genealogies, Maps: Online Resources from Ian Mladjov

I just discovered this outstanding collection of chronologies, genealogies, and maps by Ian Mladjov. His resources cover most of the ancient world from Europe to Mesopotamia, so many of them are directly related to biblical history. For example:

• Chronologies
  
• Rulers of Egypt: chronology 1540-310 BC
• Rulers of Israel and Judah: chronology 1030-586 BC 
• Rulers of Judaea (Hasmoneans and Herodians): chronology 166 BC-AD 92
  
•  Genealogies
  
• The kings of Israel and Judah c. 1030-586 BC 
• The Hasmonian and Herodian rulers of Judaea (detailed genealogy) 
• Roman emperors 30 BC-AD 457
• Maps
• The Ancient Near East c. 1350 BC (the World of the Amarna Letters)  
• The Ancient Near East c. 1250 BC (the World of Rameses II and the International System of the Late Bronze Age) 
• Anatolia c. 1300 BC (the Hittite Empire and its dependencies) 
• Mesopotamia c. 1200 BC (Babylonia and Assyria) 
• The Sea Peoples in the Eastern Mediterranean c. 1200 BC (compare to the Returns from Troy map below) 
• Israel and Judah c. 880 BC (the fragmentation of the United Monarchy according to the Old Testament)
• Macedon and Alexander's Conquests in 323 BC
• The Kingdom of the Hasmoneans and its dissolution c. 40 BC

The resources are of very high quality, and the maps are particularly detailed. You will note that the names on the resources follow standard transliteration practice rather than privileging Latinized and Anglicized versions. It's still easy enough to figure out persons and places.

Here is what Mladjov says about the maps.

The historical maps in this page are for the most part versions of some of the maps I have prepared for teaching purposes in my various courses. The level of detail and accuracy in any one map depends on the author's perceived necessities and priorities, source materials, and personal level of expertise in each particular case. Inevitably, as all too common with historical maps, many of these maps are (or started out) based on pre-existing versions from a variety of sources; I have attempted to investigate and verify points of doubt or discord wherever possible. Occasionally existing maps are revised to reflect additions or corrections, and new maps are added to this page. Given proper attribution, these maps may be used freely for non-commercial educational purposes. 

Note that they are freely available for non-commercial educational use!  

Thanks to Mladjov for sharing these fine resources. (BTW, I'm unable to find out much about the author except that graduate work was/is being done at University of Michigan, and there were teaching positions held at Bowling Green and Drexel.)