Already in 2006, the Census database offered location mapping on Google Maps as a TELOTA ‘Initiative of the Month’ pilot scheme. Since January, 2011, the map-based feature (GeoCensus) has been an integrated part of the database. At the same time, an option was added to display search results on Google Maps (Map View). The programming of this new component was made possible by financial support from the ‘Topoi’ excellence cluster.
Archaeologists or art historians researching the classical tradition can now gain new perspectives, in particular on the fate of ‘mobile’ antique monuments in the Renaissance. For example, antique sculptures which are scattered in museums and collections around the world can be traced back to the places of their discovery. Those researching collections of antiques can create a graphic visualisation of the movement of objects between collections of different families, or between locations.
Users can create a map-based overview of the geographic distribution of post-antique sources, or of the places of birth and death of individuals named in the database. The GeoCensus offers a completely new way for researchers and the general public to access the material stored in the database. Without following a specific, predefined query, users can display monuments, documents and individuals on a Google map.

Current Monument Location and Former Monument Location, Obelisk of the Iseum Capense. Map data © 2021 GeoBasis-DE/BKG (©2009), Google Images © 2021 TerraMetrics
GeoCensus
Using a single checkbox or a combination of Checkboxes, all of the locations in the categories ‘Current Monument Locations’ (dark blue), ‘Former Monument Locations’ (light blue), ‘Document Locations’ (red), ‘Place of Birth’ (yellow) and ‘Place of Death’ (orange) can be visualised in Google Maps.
The locations are shown on the map with coloured location markers. Each marker opens up a ‘speech bubble’ containing the name of the location and the associated monuments, Renaissance sources or people appear as clickable links, so that free navigation through all parts of the Census database is possible using map view.
Map View
When searching in the categories ‘Antique Monuments’, ‘Post-Antique Documents’, ‘Person’ and ‘Location’, one can select the option ‘Map View’ in addition to the usual viewing options (‘Tree’, ‘List’ and ‘Mini’). This makes it possible to display the results of simple and nested search queries in these categories in Google maps.
Locations are shown on the maps with markers of different colours. Clicking on the markers opens up speech bubbles, which contain the location and the names of the associated monuments, Renaissance sources or individuals as clickable links.