A screenshot of the "Murder Map." Source: The Violence Research CentreA screenshot of the "Murder Map." Source: The Violence Research CentreA University of Cambridge criminologist has developed what is being called the first digital murder map, which highlights locations throughout London where murders had taken place during the 14th century.

Using the “Coroner’s Rolls” from 1300 to 1340, Criminology Professor Manuel Eisner created plot points on the digital map, highlighting areas where “sudden and unnatural deaths” occurred.

Eisner’s murder map offers details beyond the location of such crimes, including days of the week, times of day and methods favored most by criminals. For instance, the data revealed that Sundays in particular had the highest occurrence of violent deaths over any other day of the week.

"Sunday was the day when people had time to engage in social activities, such as drinking and gaming, which would often trigger frictions that led to assault," explained Eisner.

Eisner’s map also offers a look at other details about the crimes, namely, how the victims were murdered. In one scenario, a victim was beaten to death for littering with eel skins. Another was shot with an arrow in the middle of a street fight.

"Following notification of a violent death, the Coroner and Sheriffs would summon a jury from the local area to investigate, then record all the findings," said Eisner.

"The events described in the Coroners' Rolls show weapons were never far away, male honour had to be protected, and conflicts easily got out of hand. They give us a detailed picture of how homicide was embedded in the rhythms of urban medieval life."

"By digitally mapping these murder cases, we hope to create an accessible resource for the public to explore these remarkable records," he said.

Not unlike the predictive policing algorithms in use by law enforcement agencies all over the world today, the map reveals a wealth of data and points out areas that were “hotbeds” of violent crime. Relying on historical data to inform the maps is essentially what the modern-day algorithms do, yet without reaching that far into the past.

The murder map will roll out Wednesday on the Violence Research Centre website.

To contact the author of this article, email mdonlon@globalspec.com