Application of GIS: A New Tool to Explore the Administration and Life of the Local Officers of Tang-Song Dynasty

Abstract

We propose to understand the general status of civilian society dated back to the Tang-Sung Dynasty on the basis of the interaction between officers and civilians through detailed exploration of local administrative affairs of Tang-Song Dynasty. Since history records the activity of people, we also attempt to study the life styles of the literati and officialdom of Tang-Song Dynasty. The true and fake images of the so called “civilian’s parents”, judging from the task, practice and social life of local officers are depicted in order to understand more about the relationship between intellectuals and normal people. Thus describes the vivid and vigorous history of the Tang-Song Dynasty. Geographic Information System (GIS) technology will be applied in this study. The life span and career of local officers of the Tang-Song Dynasty are used as main source of information. It will be processed and integrated through high-tech skill and research and provide the viewers with a new vision of analytical method in historic document. In order to analysis the life of local officers, the bulk of historical sources, such as epitaph, judgment, biography and CBDB, will be served as the historical GIS databases. The GIS database will contain the spatial data including modern and ancient maps, satellite images, natural environments, and artificial scenery, special event, communications network, natural disasters, difference between town and country and conflicting events between populace groups that took place during the Tang-Song Dynasty.