Telling a new story of pre-modern geography

Abstract

In his article ‘Geography's medieval history: A neglected enterprise?’, Keith Lilley (2011) raises important questions about the place of medieval geography in contemporary scholarship, and his analysis has broad ramifications. The lack of interest in medieval geography among modern geographers that Lilley discusses reflects the widespread lack of appreciation for premodern sciences, shared by modern scholars and general audiences. Historians are in large part responsible for this situation. While their studies have transformed the field of medieval geography, the results largely remain unknown to broader audiences, who still have to rely on old and outdated interpretations. Historians thus face the challenge of bridging the communication gap and, in collaboration with geographers, exploring the nature, development, and relevance of medieval geography both in its historical context and in its relation to the present discipline. A new history of medieval geography that would take into account current methodologies and factual discoveries would also contribute to our understanding of other neglected premodern sciences.