Questions tagged [cartography]

Cartography is the making and studying of maps. Maps are generally a way to visualise spatial information, but can also include other types of information, such as time, flora, fauna, objects and events.

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6 answers
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What are good online sources for historical maps?

I am looking for good online sources for historical maps, specifically the late medieval period (but other periods would be interesting as well). While there are many historical maps out there, few ...
34 votes
3 answers
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When the Portuguese began the exploration of the West African Coast, did they believe the Indian Ocean was an enclosed sea?

The Ptolemy map shows the Indian Ocean as an enclosed sea separated from the Atlantic by land extending from Africa to Malaya. Therefore, it suggests it is impossible to reach the Indian Ocean from ...
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25 votes
2 answers
3k views

Who are these red flag worshipers from these early maps?

While doing some research into maps over the last month or so, I came across an interesting item which I found recurring on two different sources. I first encountered this scene on a copy of the ...
justCal's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
270 views

Is this costume plate from Theatrum Orbis Terrarum correctly colored?

I have been spending some time lately going through some old atlases online, and noticed some discrepancies between some images coloration. We have noted on another question that the individual ...
justCal's user avatar
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