Renaissance and Age of Exploration Geography

Study Notes

The Renaissance (1406-1700) led to a renewed interest in classical works, resulting in more accurate maps.
The discovery of the Americas by Europeans revived interest in scientific mapping methods.
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1445, leading to the publication of printed maps in 1472 and 1475.
Fra Mauro created a world map in 1477, and the first atlas, "Geography Bologna", was published in 1477.
Christopher Columbus 'discovered' the Americas in 1492, leading to a new era of exploration and mapping.
Martin Waldseemüller created the first true world map that included the New World in 1507.

Eratosthenes (275-195 BCE) calculated the circumference of the Earth with an accuracy of 0.5%.
Aristotle (384-322 BCE) proved the Earth's sphericity using astronomy and mathematics.
Claudius Ptolemy (90-168 CE) revolutionized the depiction of the spherical earth on a map using perspective projection and a coordinate system.

The earliest known maps are of the heavens, dating back to 16,500 BCE, found on the walls of the Lascaux caves.
The Babylonian World Map (600 BCE) is the earliest surviving map of the world, depicting a circular shape surrounded by water and heavenly bodies.
The plan of Nippur (14th-12th centuries BCE) is an engraved map from the Kassite period of Babylonian history, showing walls and buildings in the holy city of Nippur.

Hecatæus's map (500 BCE) describes the earth as a circular plate with an encircling Ocean and Greece in the center of the world.
His map has no scale, similar to many other early maps in antiquity.

Mapping represented a significant step forward in the intellectual development of human beings.
Maps served as a record of the advancement of knowledge of the human race, which could be passed from one generation to the next.