Map Collection

The British School at Athens Map Collection includes cartographic records from the early 19th century to the present day, primarily of Greece and neighbouring regions. The older and rarer maps, collected by various members of the British School at Athens, and include a number of maps that are part of the George Finlay collection. The BSA Map Collection is predominantly based on army reconnaissance starting with the French and Austrian Staff Maps from the 19th Century, followed by the British Army maps of the 20th Century and culminating in the recent Greek Army maps. The collection also includes British Admiralty Charts form the 19th Century, commercial maps and map series, thematic maps, historical atlases and miscellaneous cartographic related material.

The maps are physically organised by series (e.g. British Military “Staff Maps” from WWII in Sections 1 to 8; British Admiralty Charts in Sections 9 to 12; and H.A.G.S. Hellenic Military Maps from 1969-1977 in Section 41), by geographical location (eg. Aegean Islands in Section 24; Cyprus in Sections 32 to 33) and by special themes (eg. Geological maps in Section 30). Some series (military and non-military) as well as Thematic Maps and Monograph (single item) maps are placed generally within their geographical location.