Early Maps

Definition

Early maps are historical representations of geographic areas created before modern cartographic techniques. They played a crucial role in navigation, exploration, and understanding of the world, serving as tools for travelers and scholars to depict landforms, trade routes, and territories.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Early maps were often drawn by hand, using rudimentary tools and knowledge of the geography at the time.
2. Many early maps were influenced by mythology and religious beliefs, often depicting fantastical elements alongside real locations.
3. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for the mass production of maps, making them more accessible to the public.
4. Early maps often lacked precise scale and orientation, leading to distortions in the representation of size and distance.
5. Explorers used early maps to document their discoveries and assist in navigation, which ultimately contributed to the expansion of trade and colonization.

Review Questions

• How did early maps influence exploration and navigation during their time?
  • Early maps played a significant role in exploration and navigation by providing crucial information about uncharted territories and sea routes. They helped explorers plan their journeys, identify landforms, and understand geographical features that could either aid or hinder their travel. As explorers documented their findings on these maps, they contributed to a growing body of geographic knowledge that encouraged further exploration and trade.
• Compare and contrast early maps with modern mapping techniques in terms of accuracy and purpose.
  • Early maps often lacked the accuracy and detail seen in modern mapping techniques due to limited knowledge, rudimentary tools, and reliance on subjective interpretations. While early maps served as guides for navigation and exploration, modern mapping techniques utilize advanced technology like GPS and satellite imagery to create highly precise representations of geographic areas. The purpose has also evolved; modern maps not only assist in navigation but also serve educational, environmental, and urban planning needs.
• Evaluate the impact of early map-making on cultural perceptions of geography in different societies.
  • Early map-making significantly shaped cultural perceptions of geography across different societies by influencing how people understood their world. Maps were often infused with cultural narratives and biases that reflected the values and beliefs of the time. For instance, European maps might emphasize territories under colonial control while downplaying indigenous lands. This selective representation affected how societies viewed themselves in relation to others, fostering a sense of identity that was tied to geographic space and influencing political power dynamics throughout history.

Related terms

Cartography:

The art and science of making maps, which includes the representation of geographic information in a visual format.

Portolan Charts: Medieval nautical maps that showed coastlines, harbors, and sea routes, often used by sailors for navigation.

Ptolemaic Maps: Maps created by the ancient Greek scholar Claudius Ptolemy, which combined geographic knowledge and mathematical principles to produce some of the earliest known world maps.