Redrawing Cultural Maps with Data A Proposal for Reconstructing Cultural Boundaries through Area- and Network-Based Approaches beyond Linear Demarcation

This study reevaluates the methodology of boundary delineation in cultural mapping and proposes alternative approaches by datafying the names and physical forms of gashin (household deities) found in Korean Household Beliefs and visualizing them using QGIS. Traditional folklore maps have conventionally delineated cultural zones using monochromatic contour lines on flat, static surfaces. By comparing QGIS-based visualizations of household deity data with conventional cultural maps, this study reveals the limitations of prior methods in reflecting the complexity of folk culture, internal heterogeneity within zones, and the fluidity of cultural boundaries. Recognizing that conventional flat and monochrome maps fail to capture the multidimensional aspects of cultural phenomena, this study proposes three alternative strategies. First, diverse color schemes should be used to express variations and transformations in data. Second, multidimensional cultural similarity should be visualized through network graphs based on cosine similarity. Third, ontologies that not only reflect regional similarities but also represent patterns of cultural exchange and conceptual relationships must be constructed. Through these approaches, the study suggests that cultural zones can be reconceptualized not as fixed linear boundaries, but as dynamic “surfaces” and “networks” that embody relationality and overlap.