Cian Colgan

Projects

Tracking the Ten Thousand
This site is

About my research

In my academic work, I apply Earth and Environmental Sciences to studies of Ancient History.
I'm a researcher who focuses on an interdisciplinary approach that explores how digital, geospatial, and environmental frameworks and methodologies can be applied to classics, history, and the humanities as a whole.

Education

• Furman University

Dual Major Graduate

Summa Cum Laude

(B.S.) Earth and Environmental Sciences;
(B.A.) History
Minor in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies

May 2026

• Furman Dean's List

Every semester, 2022 - 2026
Cumulative GPA 3.91

• Williamsville East High School

Class of 2022

Furman

Honors

• Furman Fellow

Highest undergraduate award

• Endel Award for World History

Furman University History Department

• Senior Award for Academic Excellence

Furman University Classics Department

• Research Grants

Two Furman Advantage Research Grants and a Furman Humanities Center Collaborative Research Grant

• Charles H. Townes Scholarship

Highest merit-based scholarship offered to out-of-state students

Furman Fellows

Organizations

• Phi Beta Kappa

Member

• Phi Alpha Theta

Member

• Furman Humanities Center
Student Liaison and Board Member

Dedicated to organizing and funding interdisciplinary and community projects among students, faculty and the public

• Order of Furman Theatre Member

Performed in and handled logistical management for a number of plays and musicals in leading and supporting roles

Furman Humanities

Projects ⋅ Publications

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Book Chapter:

Evolving Perspectives on Digital Classics

Publisher:

Abingdon: Routledge, 2025

Website Link:
Taylor & Francis Group
Title:
From the Pillars of Heracles to Ecbatana: Digital Representation of Ancient Travel Narratives

This is a book chapter I co-authored with Dr. Chiara Palladino in Evolving Perspectives on Digital Classics, which is edited by Clelia R. LaMonica and Anna Foka. 

Excerpt, page 9: "Palladino and Colgan's [chapter] investigates the digital reconstruction of ancient travel narratives, focusing on how GIS and other tools reconcile modern geographic frameworks with the cognitive and narrative characteristics of ancient texts . . . The authors employ a multifaceted methodology that combines text annotation, close reading, and GIS techniques to model the journey described in the Anabasis." 

Project Details:
  •  Geo-semantic annotation
  •  GIS
  •  ArcGIS Pro                              
Invited Lecturer:

ICS Institute of Classical Studies / University of London School of Advanced Study - Online, Feb 12, 2026

Speakers:

Cian Colgan, Furman
Chiara Palladino, Durham
Rebecca Seifried, UMass Amherst 

Website Links:
ICS / University of London
Lecture on YouTube
GitHub Sunoikisis
Invitational Presentation with Q&A:
Sunoikisis Digital Classics: Geographic Information Systems

ICS: "This session introduces Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and illustrates how it can be used to explore spatial patterns in cultural heritage datasets." It begins "with an overview of the basic building blocks of GIS, including raster and vector data types, spatial vs. attribute data, and coordinate reference systems." It also includes concrete case studies that use GIS with ancient spatial data, instruction on utilizing QGIS to work with geospatial data, and hands-on exercises for learners. 

Project Details:
  •  GIS
  •  Raster and Vector data
  •  Spatial vs. Attribute data
  •  QGIS 
Conference:

The Classical Association of the Middle West and South - Mobile, Alabama, March 11-14, 2026

Website Link:
CAMWS
Presentations and Posters:
Ἐντεῦθεν ἐξελαύνει: How Modern Geospatial Analyses Reveal Authorial Intent in Ancient Texts  

Winner of the Presidential Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Presentation (March 2026). Issued by the Classical Association of the Middle West and South, 2025-2026. This research continues to apply GIS technologies to the seven books of Xenophon's Anabasis while also integrating Textual Analysis and Digital Storytelling to further explore its physical environment and Cultural Heritage.

Project Details:
  •  Digital Storytelling
  •  Textual Analysis
  •  Cultural Heritage
Conference:

Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers - Lexington, Kentucky, Nov 23-24, 2025

Conference:

Furman Engaged - Greenville, South Carolina, April 11, 2025

Website Link:
Tracking the Ten Thousand
Presentations and Posters:
Tracking the Ten Thousand: Exploring Xenophon's Anabasis with Geospatial Annotation

This research studies the seven books of Xenophon's Anabasis using a variety of GIS technologies and ad hoc reconstructions to investigate whether new insights can be gained by explicitly modeling the relationship between Xenophon's text and the material conditions of the surrounding environment. To accomplish this, I utilize three key techniques: 1) Radial Distance Buffers, 2) Viewshed Analysis and 3-D Modeling, and 3) Least-Cost Analyses using a Cost-Surface Raster (CSR). 

Project Details:
  •  Radial Distance Buffers
  •  Viewshed Analysis & 3-D Modeling
  •  Least-Cost Analyses & CSR
Conference:

Methods and Challenges for Mapping the Ancient World - Rome, Italy, May 29-30, 2025

Authors:

Cian Colgan, Greta Hawes, Chiara Palladino, Scott Smith

Website Link:
StoryMaps ArcGIS
Presentations and Posters:
Visualising Space and Time in the Greek Mythic Storyworld

The Periegesis is one of the most valuable ancient texts because it is a rich treasure trove of information about how local communities understood and interacted with the myths that told the story of Greece's deep past. This StoryMap presents the preliminary results of experiments conducted with GIS and Web Mapping using data that MANTO has collected. It explores the potential of using such modern methods to communicate the spatial and temporal aspects of ancient myth, and the practical and conceptual limits of such approaches. 

Project Details:
  •  ArcGIS, Web Mapping
  •  MANTO inter & intra-generational Timeslider Weighted Heat Maps 
  •  Mythography

research links

Recommended Links;
Research Mapping History GIS