RavenC:LAW

Ravenna Cosmography: Locations, Alignments & Weblinks

An interactive spatial exploration platform for the 7th-century Ravenna Cosmography—a medieval geographic text describing places known to the Roman world.

Features

• Dual-map view: Synchronized display of the Peutinger Map (historical) and modern geographic map
• 3,500+ ancient toponyms from Books 1-5 of the Ravenna Cosmography
• Hierarchical navigation: Browse by Book → Region (Patria) → List → Place
• Cross-references to major ancient geography databases:
  • Pleiades - Ancient place gazetteer
  • TP-Online - Peutinger Map digitization (Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt)
  • Talbert Roman Geography - Cambridge database
• Littoral itinerary visualization: Book 5's 14-stage coastal circuit around the Mediterranean
• Multiple symbology modes: Color by region, by list sequence, or by primary source
• Search: Find places by toponym name
• Direct source links: Click toponyms to view the Schnetz edition PDF at the relevant page

Directory Color Coding

The place directory uses colors to indicate data completeness:

Color	Meaning
🟢 Green	Place matched in both TP-Online AND Pleiades
🟠 Orange	TP-Online only (appears on Peutinger Map, no modern coordinates)
🔵 Blue	Pleiades only (modern coordinates, not on Peutinger Map)
🔴 Red	No coordinates available in either database

Map Symbols

• Filled circles: Places that appear on the Peutinger Map
• Cross symbols (+): Places NOT on the Peutinger Map
• Littoral stages: Alternating black/white markers distinguish the 14 coastal circuit stages

Data Sources

Source	Description
Primary text	Schnetz edition (1939-1940) of the Ravenna Cosmography
Peutinger Map	TP-Online digitization by KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
Geographic coordinates	Pleiades ancient places gazetteer
Base map	Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire (DARE)
Historical boundaries	Late Roman provinces/dioceses (AD 303), Euratlas polities (c. 600 AD)

Data Files

File	Description
ravenclaw.csv	Main database of 3,500+ toponyms from Books 1-5
rc_littoral.csv	Littoral (coastal) itinerary from Book 5
ku_tp_*.geojson	Peutinger Map features (coastlines, rivers, mountains, etc.)
*_paths.geojson	Place sequence connections
schnetz.pdf	Schnetz edition of the Ravenna Cosmography

Local Development

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/leifuss/ravenclaw.git
   cd ravenclaw

2. Serve with any static file server:

   # Python 3
   python -m http.server 8000
   
   # Node.js (npx)
   npx serve .

3. Open http://localhost:8000 in your browser

Browser Compatibility

Tested on modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). Requires JavaScript enabled. Mobile-responsive design with slide-out menu for smaller screens.

Version History

v.0.2.5 (December 2025)

• Place Details Panel: Sidebar panel shows detailed place information when clicking on map or directory
• Simplified popups: Map popups now show title only; full details appear in sidebar panel
• Schnetz PDF links: Fixed page offset (+14) for correct PDF navigation
• Mobile improvements: Panel and sidebar work properly on mobile devices
• First-click fix: Details panel now loads correctly on first map click

v.0.1.x - v.0.2.x

• Classical Roman styling theme (Cinzel/Crimson Text fonts, parchment colors)
• Mobile-responsive sidebar with hamburger menu
• Loading state overlay with spinner
• About and Feedback links in sidebar
• Improved CSV parsing for quoted fields
• UTF-8 BOM handling for popup titles

Citation

If you use RavenC:LAW in your research, please cite:

Isaksen, L. (2025). RavenC:LAW: Ravenna Cosmography Locations, Alignments & Weblinks [Web application]. https://github.com/leifuss/ravenclaw

Contributing

Feedback and contributions welcome! Please open an issue or contact: l.isaksen@exeter.ac.uk

License

See LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Peutinger Map digitization: TP-Online (Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt)
• Ancient places data: Pleiades
• Base map: Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire
• Mapping platform: ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript