Historical Geography

Historical geography studies the geographies of the past and how places, landscapes, and spatial patterns change over time.

Scope

It covers past landscapes and land use, the reconstruction of historical environments and regions, and the long-term geographical development of places.

Core questions

• How can past geographies be reconstructed?
• How do landscapes and regions change over time?
• How did present geographies come to be?
• How do sources and methods reveal the geographical past?

Key concepts

• Past landscapes
• Cross-sections and change
• Land-use history
• Sequent occupance
• Reconstruction

Key theories

Foreword to historical geography

Sauer set out the agenda for studying landscape and culture change over time.

Reconstructing past geographies

Darby pioneered the systematic reconstruction of historical geographies from documentary sources.

History

Historical geography developed through Sauer's landscape-history program and Darby's reconstructions of past geographies, and now engages historical GIS and environmental history.

Debates

Cross-sections versus processes of change

Whether to reconstruct past 'cross-sections' or emphasize processes of geographical change through time.

Key figures

• Carl Sauer
• H. C. Darby

Seminal works

• sauer-1941
• darby-1936

Frequently asked questions

What is historical geography?

The study of the geographies of the past and of how places and landscapes have changed over time.