The biggest mistakes in mapmaking history - Kayla Wolf

Summary

The script explores the evolution of world maps from the early 1500s, highlighting the blend of functional and cosmographical elements. It discusses medieval European mappae mundi, Islamic geography, and Chinese silk maps, noting inaccuracies like the 'Island of California.' It emphasizes the transition from mythical 'dragons' to acknowledging indigenous cultures, often overlooked or erased by mapmakers.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The early 1500s copper globe featured the phrase 'Here be dragons', reflecting the medieval practice of marking unknown areas with mythical creatures.
• 🗺️ For centuries, maps served both functional and cosmographical purposes, often including mythic elements and celestial bodies.
• 🏰 Maps in medieval Europe, known as mappae mundi, typically depicted the world in a T-shape with a surrounding ocean, influenced by cosmographies.
• 🕌 Islamic mapmakers emphasized geographic details and created world maps in a similar T-shape format, with notable accuracy in some cases.
• 📚 The 'Tabula Rogeriana', commissioned by the King of Sicily, was a detailed book of maps reflecting the travels and interviews of Al-Idrisi.
• 🎨 The 'Da Ming Hunyi Tu', a massive silk map from China, attempted to depict Africa based on traders' accounts, resulting in a surprisingly accurate portrayal of sub-Saharan Africa.
• 🧭 European cartographers in the 15th century began to expand their maps with new discoveries but were not immune to errors, such as the depiction of California as an island.
• 🌐 Gerardus Mercator, famous for his world map, also speculated on the North Pole, featuring a giant magnetic rock and a whirlpool in his 1595 map.
• 🦄 Despite increasing geographical knowledge, the concept of terra incognita filled with mythical creatures persisted in European thought until the 17th century.
• 🌳 Maps often overlooked the people and cultures of the lands they depicted, some of which were later eradicated by the same societies that mapped them.

Q & A

What message marked the coast of Southeast Asia on a copper globe from the early 1500s?

The message 'Here be dragons' was marked on the coast of Southeast Asia on a copper globe from the early 1500s.

Why did medieval European mapmakers often include dragons and sea monsters on their maps?

Medieval European mapmakers included dragons and sea monsters on their maps to represent terra incognita, or the unknown areas, reflecting their lack of knowledge about those regions.

What is the difference between functional maps and cosmographies?

Functional maps show trade routes, settlements, topography, water sources, and coastlines, serving practical purposes. Cosmographies, on the other hand, illustrate the Earth's position in the cosmos, often including constellations, gods, and mythic locations.

What was the purpose of the maps created by cartographers in Eurasia and North Africa from the Middle Ages to the mid-17th century?

These maps were meant to depict the world's geography and were often commissioned by rulers and powerful people, but they were not necessarily intended for navigation due to the incomplete knowledge of the world at the time.

What is a mappa mundi and how did it represent the world?

A mappa mundi is a type of medieval map that often veered towards cosmographies, showing the world's land as one mass divided into the shape of a T and surrounded by a ring of ocean, sometimes featuring the Garden of Eden or mythical dragons.

Who created the 'Tabula Rogeriana' and what was its significance?

The 'Tabula Rogeriana,' also known as 'A Guide to Pleasant Journeys into Faraway Lands,' was created by Islamic mapmaker Al-Idrisi in 1154. It was significant because it included a world map based on Idrisi's own travels and interviews with traders and travelers, depicting the world as a flattened sphere.

What is unique about the 'Da Ming Hunyi Tu' created in China in 1389?

The 'Da Ming Hunyi Tu' is unique because it was created on a piece of silk large enough to fill an entire room, and despite the mapmakers never having been to Africa, they attempted to depict the continent based on traders' accounts, resulting in a surprisingly accurate portrayal of sub-Saharan Africa.

How did European cartographers begin to expand their world maps in the 15th century?

European cartographers began to expand their world maps in the 15th century as their explorers traveled the world, incorporating new geographical information into their maps, although this process was not without errors and misinterpretations.

What was the 'Island of California' and why did it appear on Spanish maps for over 100 years?

The 'Island of California' was a misinterpretation by Spanish cartographers based on explorers' accounts from an expedition to the Baja Peninsula. It appeared on maps as a detached island from the rest of the continent for over 100 years due to these initial impressions.

What was Gerardus Mercator's speculation about the North Pole, and how did it influence his map of the region?

Gerardus Mercator speculated that the North Pole featured the 'Rupes Nigra,' a giant magnetic rock surrounded by a whirlpool, which he believed explained why all compasses point north. This idea influenced his map of the North Pole, which was published in 1595.

Why did the concept of terra incognita with mythic beasts persist even as Europeans gained a more complete picture of the Earth?

The concept of terra incognita with mythic beasts persisted because it represented the unknown and the imaginative fears or curiosities of the time. Even as geographical knowledge expanded, the idea of blank spots filled with mythical creatures remained a part of the cultural imagination, as seen in Peter Heylin's 1657 work.