Final answer:
Consulting old maps is valuable for understanding the historical perspectives, societal biases, and political contexts of the times in which they were created. These maps can reveal historical power dynamics and enable the comparison of past and present geographical data through GIS technology, contributing to the preservation of cultural heritage.
Step-by-step explanation:
Consulting old maps is beneficial because they offer critical insights into how past societies viewed and interacted with the world. Old maps are contested pieces of historical evidence, created from the perspective of the mapmakers who often placed their own civilizations at the center of the known world. This means that they can teach us about the cultural, political, and technological contexts of different time periods. For instance, during the Age of Exploration, maps served not only as navigational tools but also as instruments in the conquest and suppression of peoples, as European powers used them to divide territories among themselves without regard for indigenous populations.
In world history and geography, understanding the biases and inaccuracies of historic maps reveals a lot about the historical power dynamics, such as the tendency to under-represent regions of the Global South. These maps also carry significant data that can inform cultural and historical research when analyzed alongside other historical sources. With the advent of geographic information system (GIS) technology, old maps can be compared to new data, providing a more nuanced understanding of how regions and perceptions have changed over time, which is crucial for academic inquiry and preserving cultural heritage.