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Google Earth and Anthropology Research/Teaching?

I carefully avoided downloading Google Earth — after playing with Google Maps and some of the hacks people created for I sensed I could lose myself for days all over the planet if I installed Google Earth. I was being good!

Then I read Rex’s recent post at SavageMinds.org about staring down from above into mines and his enthusiasm got to me. I installed the software. I have made the required ‘flights’ to my field site, and to the homes of everyone I know. And, I am now hooked!

I’d be curious to know, however, how people envision using this product for anthropological research and teaching. I can imagine a few things:

  • Enhancing slide presentations of fieldwork especially once I figure out how to get my Flickr images to overlay my flight plath.
  • Providing imagery for reports particularly where specifics of terrain impact people’s behaviors. In my work, overlaying trail networks on Google Earth imagery would show the correlations between terrain and walking routes.
  • Using it with elders to ‘visit’ remote places that are hard to get to today. Such visits might jog memories and encourage stories about older days.
  • I thought about plotting moose kill sites on this too — and believe the resulting maps would indicate how closely hunting occurs along roadways.

    • Still, some of these ideas are just as easy with standard issue topographical maps.

    Is anyone considering how they might use this technology in their work or, better still, is anyone already using Google Earth in their teaching or research?

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    This was written by Tad McIlwraith. Posted on Monday, July 11, 2005, at 9:35 pm. Filed under Academia, Methods, Teaching. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback.

    6 Comments

    1. Jamie wrote:

      Thanks Tad!!

      I have a zillion papers to do and now I can’t tear myself away from my computer! I should never have downloaded this program! :)

      Very cool! I spent hours last night tilting the point of view so that I could fly through different valleys that I have visited in real life.

      Tuesday, July 12, 2005 at 11:43 am | Permalink
    2. Tad McIlwraith wrote:

      Be careful Jamie! Tear your eyes away from Google Earth … (I should follow my own advice as I am playing with it right now!)

      Tuesday, July 12, 2005 at 2:24 pm | Permalink
    3. orange. wrote:

      So I can call myself happy to lack hardware and bandwidth..?
      Can´t await to check those mapping programs out..

      Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at 4:41 pm | Permalink
    4. Tad McIlwraith wrote:

      Anna … yes, I think that’s what I am saying … ;)

      Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at 11:08 pm | Permalink
    5. Casey wrote:

      Hi All Experts,
      Does anyone use google earth images as ground image planes for use in aerial scenes. I know how to stitch them together but are there any tools or tricks to make sure that the images are at the same height, angle and such to make sure they stitch well. I know in the pro version you can get bigger images but im not going to pay for the pro version when i could stitch multiple images together…

      Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 10:25 am | Permalink
    6. Tad McIlwraith wrote:

      That’s way beyond me, Casey … but it sounds fantastic. Perhaps there are google message boards where you’ll get more attention or response.

      Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 10:38 am | Permalink

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