Mapping/Painting the Medieval Landscape. A Landscape-archaeological analysis of the medieval landscape as depicted by Pieter Pourbus

摘要

During the Middle Ages, the metropolis of Bruges thrived through its overseatrade. A large tidal inlet – called Zwin – provided a navigable passage from the North Sea,through the wetlands, to the heart of the city. In the middle of the 16th century, the EightyYears War (1568-1648) transformed the Zwin area from an axis of trade into a frontline ofwar. Of course, this had a profound impact on the environment. At the start of this suddenlandscape transformation, painter-cartographer Pieter Pourbus portrayed the countryside ofBruges with a unique level of detail, accuracy and scale. Although this painted map is oftenused as an illustration, it has so far remained incomprehensibly understudied. Moreover,recent research has shown that the current landscape-historical narratives depicted in this partof the North Sea area are severely outdated. In order to fill these gaps and study this uniquelandscape through this unique painting, we will merge newly developed digital techniquesfrom art history and geography (Digital Thematic Deconstruction), and complement this witha renewed archaeological and historical survey of the region. By unlocking the details of thepainted map, we will make an invisible landscape reappear, and unveil the historical,archaeological and environmental records of this remarkable manmade landscape.