Episode 2 - World Coverage Home - Project Page - Introduction - Episode 1: Ancient Mapping - Episode 2: World Coverage - Episode 3: Cartography - Conclusion   The image was taken from the below web site. The second black and white image is a reoriented drawing of the first. http://www.henry-davis.com/MAPS/LMwebpages/249.html As humans progressed into the Middle Ages (medieval times) we saw the civilizations expand across the greater portion of Europe and Southwest Asia. With this expansion more of the unknown territory was discovered and became the backyard of the different developing countries. Urbanization developed exponentially. Villages became towns, which then grew into sprawling communities or kingdoms. Along with this growth were monasteries and public schooling. They soon became a necessity for the upcoming youth and grew in popularity. Reading and writing became popular amongst the commoners. Libraries multiplied and the passing on of knowledge was greater than before. Along with this passing of knowledge from one civilization to another was the exploration of each others' lands. Some travelers would write and draw directions to other lands. They could pass on these drawings or maps to others for accuracy instead of trying to explain a long and arduous trail. Before the common understanding of written language travelers needed to ask directions from each place they visited. The further the routes the more difficult it became with language barriers. Whether by land or sea travel became a necessity to establish trade routes. Trade routes proved to be extremely prosperous for those cultures that took part in it. Domestic products could be sold for the items that the one particular country may lack in. Exportation also increased a country’s wealth. Imported goods such a food and textiles helped supplement limited resources and balanced out a country’s domestic supply of resources. Maps were key to learning new trade routes and keeping track of old ones. Ships would rely on the shore lines and terrain as a guide to help them sail along a trade route. Another benefit from mapping is the use of land management. Kings and landlords could have an overview look at their own property boundaries. They could use these drawn and painted images to management dispersed lands throughout their realm. It would also signify the separation between cultures or kingdoms. This leads into a third attribute of mapping. Land became a limited commodity and was soon realized by those that wanted as much of it as they can. Dominance over land grew and wars were fought over these lands. Maps became vital for strategic defense and offensive actions. Map also provided foreigners as to which superpower owned the land they set foot on and a reminder as to how vast their empire spans. The two Fra Mauro world maps displayed above give a general example of the world understood by man during the Middle Ages. The black and white image to the right is easier to see the outlines of the common present day countries of Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Greece, etc. as well as the major internal water tributaries. The prominence of these rivers provides another clue to the importance of map usage for boundaries, travel, and supply.  Here is another digital image of Fra Mauro's mappamundi. This image was taken from Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:FraMauroMap.jpg As you can see in the more detailed image displayed above, humans have discovered a greater portion of the three connecting continents. The detailed edges of the land touching water provided insight to the need for seafaring travel. Ships would use the land as a guide as they traveled along to their destinations. If they sailed too far off they could become lost at sea. Only skilled sailors had the ability to navigate by the celestial stars and heavens. Mapping became an important skill required by rulers. They could use these maps to understand the boundaries of their land and that of neighboring allies or enemies. Lindberg emphasizes the popularity of world maps, "Among the most numerous, most interesting and most studied medieval maps are the mappaemundi, or world maps" (255). By clicking on the Fra Mauro map above you can see a clearer depiction of the world humans once knew. This image lets the viewer see the intricate detail and care given to this world map. Rivers, shores, and lakes are jagged and rough instead of smooth. This is an indication that the map makers took into account geographical changes in the land. Maybe this even led to the study of geology and how the land was cut and formed by the rivers and seas. Interpretation: I see this creation of the Fra Mauro world map as a beginning to the collective knowledge of many civilizations. The sharing of knowledge is the first step towards man's civilized act to further the human study in philosophy. As we saw in the centuries to follow the Middle Ages philosophical thinking turns to scientific studies. Humans start to study and test their hypotheses rather than only documenting observations. Mathematics continue to play an important part in the scientific analysis. Mapping and cartography become even more dependent on mathematics and presicion intrustments and graphical systems that can pinpoint an accurate location of an idividual anywhere on Earth. Biography and Notes Primary Sources: My primary sources are the Fra Mauro world maps, mappamundi mages
from 1459 A.D. Secondary Sources: David Lindberg, The Beginnings of Western Science
(Chicago, Chicago University Press, 1992). This book provides a professional support in a small section regarding mapping and cartography. “Late Medieval Maps.” Cartographic Images. 18 February 1998, < http://www.henry-davis.com/MAPS/LMwebpages/LM1.html>. (Last accessed 10 November 2008) This web site has a plethora of images from different maps throughout the different time periods. There are dates and titles for each map image. "Early world maps." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 03 Nov 2008. 28 Oct 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_world_maps>. (Last accessed 27 10 November 2008) Wikipedia adds additional articles relating to this map that helps enhance the theories behind the meaning of the world map. |
