Maps of the 1500's - I don't pretend this is Archaeology coz it ain't, but this is for Inger, if she's interested. Please note I'm writing in the subject line her name, which is not designed to be illegal.
- From: "Dylan Sung" <dylanwhs.tsktsktsk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 10 May 2006 15:54:53 +0100
On Maps of North America
I begin with the 1507 Waldseemuller map, where a south America is show to the left up the coast to the Gulf of Mexico and further north to what I think is the Florida peninsula.
Next up is Roselli Map of 1508, it shows part of South America, and a huge landmass above it which seems to be an extension of the east or northern Asia.
Ruych's map of 1508 clearly shows spanish interst Spagnola in the Carribean, to the north east of which the protruding land "Terra nova" is located. Somewhat startling is the latin Grvnelantevs which I understand as being Greenland. "Greenland" is near to Gog and Magog, according to the map.
In another Waldseemuller map of 1513, we see Ocenvnvs Occidentalis (Western Ocean) where lines of lattitude are drawn in up to lattitue 55 N and 35 S. 55 north corresponds roughly to the lattitude of southern England, and across in north america, this is would equate to the area of Newfoundland/Labrador. The name Parias on the map for that bit of land is puzzling.
I don't have a clear picture of Apianus' America map of 1520, but the Schoner 1520's map shows North America as a vertical north to south thin-ish strip of land, to its east is written Oceanus Occidentalis.
The 1525 map Salviati Planisphere shows a very accurate eastern coastline for the south and north american continents, up to I'd say around Greenland, the interior and west coast are left blank.
Juan Vespucci's 1526 map is less accurate, but depicts a nuance of the eastern coast of north america and just up from the florida peninsula as well, probably up to Labrador, but the interior once again is vague.
Diego Ribeiro's elaborate and beautiful map may have derived itself from a redrawing of the Salviati map above. Another scan of the map shows TIERA DEAVILON - or T. DE AVYLON, in what I would say is north or south Carolina. further north east to that is Tiera De Estima Gomez, probably around Virginea, or Maryland. And in the same direction Tiera Nova De Cortereal - the writing isn't very clear on these scans. That may be up near New Brunswick, but the scale I think is hard to guuess..
A cordiform map of 1535 with Orontius on the bottom shows a heart shaped map of the world. and it is likely that both north eastern asia-siberia and north america are split in the drawing, but in the mapmaker's mind still conjoined according to what he knows about the world.
the 1535 map by Vadianus again shows north america as a vertical but indented strip of land.
Battisata Anese c.1540 map, shows either side of the Mexican coastlines probably up to the Californian peninsula. The East coast is appended with placenames I cannot read, however, the main point here is, that whilst the coasts of Mexico are known, the interior and North America/or Canadian northern coastline is still unknown.
The Munster map of 1540 now shows a highly distorted map of South America as Die Nuw Welt The strip of land that is Panama to Mexico adjoins to lands which are texas and florida. Cuba is pictured also. There seems to be a peninsula Francisca, which may allude to some french connections? Anyway, it is strange that a sea like finger protrude between Francisca what could be carolina, even though they are definitely lined like a land bridge. I do not think that the depiction is of the great lakes, nor the Hudson Bay. I believe that the map maker has decided to draw some wavey line out of lack of knowledge, so that he can enclose an area in which the yellow colouring fills that land mass. In previous maps, like the Salviati map is not coloured, therefore there isn't a need to enclose areas to distinguis sea from uncharted areas. It seems to have been reprinted in 1550.
Battista Agnese in 1542 produces a map which also does not detail the Canadian nothern coastline. However, this map now clearly shows that North and South America are distinct from Asia. A little bit of Antartca is shown near the tip of South America. Lins showing trails by seafaring adventurers of the time is show to northern South America, down to the south through Cape Horn and into the pacific ocean towards Asia proper.
I'm skipping to Desceliers Map of 1546 where the coastline of north Eastern seaboard of the US now shows clearly the Gulf of St. Lawrence but north of that, the projection used distorts the land, and it seems that the island of Greenland is incorporated in, as Iceland is clearly shown between the old and new world. The map is also interesting as the orientation of the letters north and south of the equator, are in opposite ways, so I guess they just reverse it to look at the details on either the top or bottom of the map. Terra Australle is the Antarctic, and seems to incorporate Australia proper.
Gastaldi's map of 1546 shows some detail of northern Canada, but whether this is truely mapped can be guessed by the way he drew the line. I would say it wasn't, since the wiggly line that forms that coastline is very different from all the other coastlines further down in North and South american continents.
Salamanca's 1550 map shows a cardioform projection and north america is obscured by the way the cartographer has decided to show it. However, at this stage, again, north America is still not properly charted.
I'm gonna skip to Orontius Finaeus 1556 map, another cardioform, but note that he conflates Asia and North America. TANGUT near the top left arch is above CATAY which is most likely CATHAY, and below that Terra Florida the bit of land which just to the left below.
Ortelius's 1570 map entitled Americae Sive Novi Orbis Nova Descriptio shows a northerly mass of water below which is written Septentrio. The area of Nova Francia is shown, with the Saint Lawrence River clearly shown, though no indication of the area outside of Nova Francia of the Great Lakes. I think this is the first time that the Hudson Bay is depicted, at least in this list of maps.
See
http://www.brazilbrazil.com/allmap5.html
Dyl.
.
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