Chosen Maps and Reasoning

Week 3

The Valley of the Kings, Egypt (1926)

The above map, produced in 1926 by the survey of Egypt in liaison with the Antiquities Department, depicts the Valley of the Kings during the excavation of Tutankhamun. The British copy is archived in the Colonial Office and denotes the relationship between Egypt and the United Kingdom, with regards to the importance of archaeology and antiquities, during this period of time. The brown contours, depicted in the map, meanwhile connote the steepness of the landscape.

London (1940)

The above map, is just one of the 650+ maps prepared by the British Ministry of Home Secretary, outlining the areas which were bombed during the London Blitz (WW2). The collated information was fundamental in enabling our ministry to plan their civil defence. Incorporated within the map are a set of secret grid references intended to misinform/confuse the enemy. For example, the diagonal dashed lines symbolise showers of small incendiary bombs, circles with crosses connote unexploded bombs, colours are used to reference different days of the week....

I have decided to explore these two maps within my activity book for the National Archives brief. I believe these maps are filled with rich stories and context that will be educational for children (7-11 demographic) to learn and consume, especially as these two subjects as had a huge impact on our history. Additionally, these subject areas are frequently addressed by teachers with their pupils.