The beginning

Currently, the dissertation process feels a bit daunting, however, I have gotten organized. I have established that I will do a deep mapping project that focuses on Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Next, I need to read and research.

My reading goals:

1. Review the current literature on Deep Mapping. Make a list of articles, sift through them to figure out which ones are useful to my project. Read them. Take notes that will eventually turn into the Literature Review chapter in my dissertation.
2. Begin to research Kaiserslautern. Find the archaeology, history, myths and legends, place names, maps and trails, and other current connections to the past. Read with an eye for sifting and fuzzy sorting in a way that will eventually lead to some organization and method.

I do have some organizational ideas. Perhaps I’ll tackle topics by time period, perhaps following cultural changes or population fluctuations. Perhaps I’ll tackle topics by presentation type, sorting things that lend themselves to GIS, narrative, photography, art, or experience. Perhaps I’ll sort things by the resource and look at all the mythology first, then the archaeology, etc.

My current mindset is to travel through chronological time for this deep mapping process.