Abstract: Virtual reconstruction of an urban historical landscape over a relatively large area requires the reconstruction of historical land surfaces. To solve this problem one needs to obtain a detailed spatial data on the Earth surface elevation for a certain historical period as well as the information about the way it changed over time. The reconstruction can be performed using different software. One of the convenient options is to use geographic information systems (GIS) since this approach assumes work with georeferenced data “by default” thus providing for easier combinations with other reconstruction components. The article describes the creation of digital relief models (DRMs) of the eastern part of Moscow Bely Gorod reflecting the state of the land surface in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries via GIS software (MAG, SAGA, QGIS). Input data for this research are contours from 1:2000 topographic plans and generalized materials of archaeological sources. Using this basis as well as GIS analysis methods, three gridded DRMs (one for each epoch) have been constructed. These DRMs are suitable for use within the GIS environment and for export to other software.

Abstract: The article discusses an application of geographic information systems (GIS) to virtually reconstruct the historical landscape. The reconstruction of historical land surfaces is a necessary part of this big challenge. To solve this problem one has to use different and heterogeneous spatial data, interpolate heights on the basis of different geometries. Within the frames of geographic information analysis and mapping, algorithms and methods have been developed for creating digital elevation models (DEM) - digital representations of height fields which are considered to be relatively continuous (within a certain predetermined area). The paper considers the algorithms used to interpolate heights and create DEMs, the possibilities of two-dimensional and three-dimensional visualization as well as the solution of graphical and analytical problems. The author also considers the issue of comparing various sources of spatial information (archaeological and geological surveys) using GIS technologies and takes the case of the part of Bely Gorod ("White City") of Moscow (16th-18th centuries) as an example. He has demonstrated that the area understudy is characterized by a systematic difference in the surface heights of the natural ground as evaluated from these different sources. This factor, nevertheless, does not exclude the possibility of their joint use.