Or what's the story behind the word "America" on this 1507 map? And you find that this map was the first to use the word America because even in 1507 Columbus continued to insist he had found the East Indies while Amerigo Vespucci, the second explorer to get to America, believed it was a new land.
The history of San Francisco begins with the history of the Americas coming into focus. This 1507 map by Waldseemueller shows great detail about Europe, but a lot less about North and South America. It also is the first map that ever showed the word “America.”
i36724
i36724
i36725
i36725
“In 2003, the Library of Congress bought Martin Waldseemüller’s world map for a world record $10 million dollars, because it is the first map to name America and show the Pacific. Widely regarded as ‘America’s birth certificate’, the map was believed lost until found by a Jesuit priest in a castle in Germany in 1900, where it remained 2003, when the library persuaded its owner, a German count, to sell it. Made by Waldseemüller and a team of scholars in Germany in 1507, its distinctive bulb-shaped projection reflects their attempt to keep up with the extraordinary period of rapid discoveries made by the Spanish and Portuguese from the late fifteenth century, including landfalls in southern Africa, India, Asia, and of course, the Americas. At the top of the map are Ptolemy (left) and Amerigo Vespucci (right), whose voyages proved conclusively that America was a separate continent, disproving Columbus’ belief that he had landed in Asia. It is a map that remains full of mysteries: how did Waldseemüller know about the Pacific six years before any European discovered it?” Time.com 2013
Or, "What kind of map is this?" And you find it is a mappa mundi from the 13th century, depicting items of faith and place. You can see Jesus, Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, as well as Jerusalem and the Red Sea.
From the late 13th century, this is the Psalter Map, because it was found a Psalter, which is book of psalms. This map is called a mappa mundi, which historian Felicitas Schmieder refers to as "Geographies of Salvation" as they report the narrative of Christ's interaction with our world. The map includes Jerusalem, the Garden of Eden, the Red Sea, the Dead Sea, Gog and Magog, as well as a section of monstrous races.
The Psalter Map is a one of the most famous examples of a midieval mappa mundi. It was likely part of a psalm or prayer book. I love it because it is only marginally geographic and instead speaks to symbols of faith and fear. It has Jerusalem in the center and the Garden of Eden. It also a section on the right of fantastic beasts from other lands.
“The Psalter map is an English map from the thirteenth century that includes much information within it's small area Like many medieval maps, this world map subjectively presents Jerusalem, as enlarged and at the center, as Jesus overlooks the world. The map also contains many indicators of the materiality of the Middle Ages, including buildings, boats, "monstrous" human races (along the right-hand side) and the wind. Thus, the map acts as a record of how people experienced the world during this time period.” History Fine Prints (on etsy)
“Psalter World Map is the name historiography gave to a medieval world map that has been found in a psalter. This mappa mundi is now conserved at the British Library in London. The small map (c. 9.5 cm or 3.7 in high) shows a lot of detail. It was written around 1260; the author is unknown. According to historian Anna-Dorothee von den Brincken, it looks like a small version of the Ebstorf Map from Northern Germany. It is a typical mappa mundi that does not only show the geographical and historical knowledge, but also puts it into the frame of salvation history. Jesus Christ appears in the East (i.e. "above"), as the maps of Christian Middle Ages have East above, not North, giving a blessing with his right hand.” wikipedia
“A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were commonly used for learning to read. Many Psalters were richly illuminated and they include some of the most spectacular surviving examples of medieval book art.” wikipedia
The purpose of the map seems to be to represent the geography of the Low Countries in a manner consistent with the descriptions of antique history for consumption by an audience thoroughly enraptured by the study of this period of history.
Logic:
The map is aligned with North at the top of the page and is designed primarily to contextualize Caesar's campaigns in northern Gallia. Terrain and the locations of settlements and tribes feature prominently, which accords with its purpose of enhancing one's understanding of the history of the Late Republic.
Estimation:
The map likely must speculate as to the precise locations of certain tribes and foregoes any attempt to present concrete dimensions to the areas associated with individual tribes. This may be because such precision was impossible given the information the cartographer had with him or because tribal structures of sovereignty were more fluid. Additionally, the exact positions and paths of rivers may be estimations as the paths of rivers do change over time.
"Yu Ji Tu" or "Map of the Tracks of Yu" is a remarkable example of Chinese cartography and one of the oldest that's survived to our day; the map – which is carved in stone – dates from AD 1137 and consists of 5,110 grids, showing around 500 settlements and a dozen rivers [1806x1857]
[ 2026-01-14 02:49:51 ]
0
Japanese Buddhist world map, titled Nansenbushu Bankoku Shoka No Zu - 1710
Image 46 of 115 | e776 | i42330 | 4284x3512px
Japanese Buddhist world map, titled Nansenbushu Bankoku Shoka No Zu - 1710
San Francisco Chinatown - Board of Supervisors - 1885
Image 51 of 115 | e776 | i42383 | 7054x2878px
San Francisco Chinatown - Board of Supervisors - 1885
I remember being flabbergasted when I first saw this map. I couldn’t believe that I, who’d lived in San Francisco for 10 years, didn’t know about this ultra-racist chapter of oh-so-politically-correct San Francisco. This map shows those racist and bigoted genes in technicolor. Below from National Geographic. One of the images has this jarring caption: “In the South, the Ku Klux Klan targeted African Americans. In the West, the white supremacist organization attacked Chinese immigrants.”
“This map reflects the pervasive bias against the Chinese in California and in turn further fostered the hysteria. It was published as part of an official report of a Special Committee established by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors "on the Condition of the Chinese Quarter." The Report resulted from a dramatic increase in hostility to the Chinese, particularly because many Chinese laborers had been driven out of other Western states by vigilantes and sought safety in San Francisco...From the report: "The Chinese brought here with them and have successfully maintained and perpetuated the grossest habits of bestiality practiced by the human race." The map highlights the Committee's points, particularly the pervasiveness of gambling, prostitution and opium use. The Report concludes with a recommendation that the Chinese be driven out of the City by stern enforcement of the law.” PJ Mode Collection at Cornell
0
The Minard Map of Napolean's March - 1869
DUPLICATED
Image 52 of 115 | e776 | i42407 | 2003x955px
The Minard Map of Napolean's March - 1869DUPLICATED
You might even ask yourself, "What is a map?" And if, like Harry Beck, you take away the need for geographical accuracy, you find yourself in the world of data visualizations.
And then you discover this amazing depiction of Napolean's ill-fated 1812 Moscow campaign, seeing the tan line, from left to right, of the declining number of Napolean's troops on the way to Moscow...and the black line showing the decimation of his army in retreat.
Minard's 1869 chart showing the number of men in Napoleon’s 1812 Russian campaign army, their movements, as well as the temperature they encountered on the return path. Lithograph, 62 × 30 cm
Sayer - 2008 presidential election predicted on April 30, 2008
Image 57 of 115 | e776 | i42421 | 506x313px
Sayer - 2008 presidential election predicted on April 30, 2008
This image is a map depicting an online political board's prediction, posted April 30, 2008, of the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
Blue represents states the user predicted would be won by their predicted Republican nominee, U.S. Senator from Arizona John McCain, and Red represents states the user predicted would be won by their predicted Democratic nominee, U.S. Senator from New York Hillary Clinton.
The Democratic nomination had not been determined by the time of this post, unlike most modern presidential nomination contested in which a presumptive nominee is known by around April.
The prediction predicts Clinton receiving 285 electoral votes and McCain 253 electoral votes, with Clinton being elected the 44th president of the United States.
Source: TalkElections forum. The user that posted this prediction reported themselves as a Tennessee Republican.
[ 2026-01-22 15:32:56 ]
0
Map of Europe by Hartman Schedel - Dilan Fernandes
Image 58 of 115 | e776 | i42425 | 7236x5181px
Map of Europe by Hartman Schedel - Dilan Fernandes
Source:
Appears in the Nuremburg Chronicle authored by Hartman Schedel and published in 1493.
It seems that certain features of the map are the product of speculation. Specifically, the extent and particular path of the Carpathian Mountains seem to be the product of estimation. Generally speaking, most of the features of continental Europe and the British Isles seem to be the result of estimation. Fascinatingly, it seems that the producer of this map new that some sort of sea and land formation existed to the north of Germany, but it seems that the figure of this land and body of water was only vaguely known.
Sayer Theiss - 1854 U.S. House of Representatives elections [ 2026-01-22 16:10:21 ]
Image 81 of 115 | e776 | i42451 | 2560x1607px
Sayer Theiss - 1854 U.S. House of Representatives elections [ 2026-01-22 16:10:21 ]
This map is sourced from Wikipedia. The colors were not necessarily the customary colors used at the time- political party color in the United States did not seriously exist in any meaningful way until the 21st century, except for the usage of red by socialist and communist parties.
Blue indicates the Democratic Party, which won 82 out of the 234 total seats.
Gold indicates the declining Whig Party, which won 55 out of the 234 total seats.
Purple indicates the American Party, also known as the Native American Party or the Know-Nothings, which won 52 seats.
Slightly-greener yellow indicates the Anti-Nebraska Party, which won 22 seats.
Red represents the Republican Party, which won 13 seats.
Green represents the People's Party, which won 9 seats.
Darker shades of each color indicates that the congressional district in question was a gain from the previous election result 2 years prior.
Or what's the story behind the word "America" on this 1507 map? And you find that this map was the first to use the word America because even in 1507 Columbus continued to insist he had found the East Indies while Amerigo Vespucci, the second explorer to get to America, believed it was a new land.
The history of San Francisco begins with the history of the Americas coming into focus. This 1507 map by Waldseemueller shows great detail about Europe, but a lot less about North and South America. It also is the first map that ever showed the word “America.”
i36724
i36724
i36725
i36725
“In 2003, the Library of Congress bought Martin Waldseemüller’s world map for a world record $10 million dollars, because it is the first map to name America and show the Pacific. Widely regarded as ‘America’s birth certificate’, the map was believed lost until found by a Jesuit priest in a castle in Germany in 1900, where it remained 2003, when the library persuaded its owner, a German count, to sell it. Made by Waldseemüller and a team of scholars in Germany in 1507, its distinctive bulb-shaped projection reflects their attempt to keep up with the extraordinary period of rapid discoveries made by the Spanish and Portuguese from the late fifteenth century, including landfalls in southern Africa, India, Asia, and of course, the Americas. At the top of the map are Ptolemy (left) and Amerigo Vespucci (right), whose voyages proved conclusively that America was a separate continent, disproving Columbus’ belief that he had landed in Asia. It is a map that remains full of mysteries: how did Waldseemüller know about the Pacific six years before any European discovered it?” Time.com 2013
Or, "What kind of map is this?" And you find it is a mappa mundi from the 13th century, depicting items of faith and place. You can see Jesus, Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, as well as Jerusalem and the Red Sea.
From the late 13th century, this is the Psalter Map, because it was found a Psalter, which is book of psalms. This map is called a mappa mundi, which historian Felicitas Schmieder refers to as "Geographies of Salvation" as they report the narrative of Christ's interaction with our world. The map includes Jerusalem, the Garden of Eden, the Red Sea, the Dead Sea, Gog and Magog, as well as a section of monstrous races.
The Psalter Map is a one of the most famous examples of a midieval mappa mundi. It was likely part of a psalm or prayer book. I love it because it is only marginally geographic and instead speaks to symbols of faith and fear. It has Jerusalem in the center and the Garden of Eden. It also a section on the right of fantastic beasts from other lands.
“The Psalter map is an English map from the thirteenth century that includes much information within it's small area Like many medieval maps, this world map subjectively presents Jerusalem, as enlarged and at the center, as Jesus overlooks the world. The map also contains many indicators of the materiality of the Middle Ages, including buildings, boats, "monstrous" human races (along the right-hand side) and the wind. Thus, the map acts as a record of how people experienced the world during this time period.” History Fine Prints (on etsy)
“Psalter World Map is the name historiography gave to a medieval world map that has been found in a psalter. This mappa mundi is now conserved at the British Library in London. The small map (c. 9.5 cm or 3.7 in high) shows a lot of detail. It was written around 1260; the author is unknown. According to historian Anna-Dorothee von den Brincken, it looks like a small version of the Ebstorf Map from Northern Germany. It is a typical mappa mundi that does not only show the geographical and historical knowledge, but also puts it into the frame of salvation history. Jesus Christ appears in the East (i.e. "above"), as the maps of Christian Middle Ages have East above, not North, giving a blessing with his right hand.” wikipedia
“A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were commonly used for learning to read. Many Psalters were richly illuminated and they include some of the most spectacular surviving examples of medieval book art.” wikipedia
The purpose of the map seems to be to represent the geography of the Low Countries in a manner consistent with the descriptions of antique history for consumption by an audience thoroughly enraptured by the study of this period of history.
Logic:
The map is aligned with North at the top of the page and is designed primarily to contextualize Caesar's campaigns in northern Gallia. Terrain and the locations of settlements and tribes feature prominently, which accords with its purpose of enhancing one's understanding of the history of the Late Republic.
Estimation:
The map likely must speculate as to the precise locations of certain tribes and foregoes any attempt to present concrete dimensions to the areas associated with individual tribes. This may be because such precision was impossible given the information the cartographer had with him or because tribal structures of sovereignty were more fluid. Additionally, the exact positions and paths of rivers may be estimations as the paths of rivers do change over time.
"Yu Ji Tu" or "Map of the Tracks of Yu" is a remarkable example of Chinese cartography and one of the oldest that's survived to our day; the map – which is carved in stone – dates from AD 1137 and consists of 5,110 grids, showing around 500 settlements and a dozen rivers [1806x1857]
[ 2026-01-14 02:49:51 ]
Image 45 of 115
e776
i42329
1806x1857px
Japanese Buddhist world map, titled Nansenbushu Bankoku Shoka No Zu - 1710
San Francisco Chinatown - Board of Supervisors - 1885
I remember being flabbergasted when I first saw this map. I couldn’t believe that I, who’d lived in San Francisco for 10 years, didn’t know about this ultra-racist chapter of oh-so-politically-correct San Francisco. This map shows those racist and bigoted genes in technicolor. Below from National Geographic. One of the images has this jarring caption: “In the South, the Ku Klux Klan targeted African Americans. In the West, the white supremacist organization attacked Chinese immigrants.”
“This map reflects the pervasive bias against the Chinese in California and in turn further fostered the hysteria. It was published as part of an official report of a Special Committee established by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors "on the Condition of the Chinese Quarter." The Report resulted from a dramatic increase in hostility to the Chinese, particularly because many Chinese laborers had been driven out of other Western states by vigilantes and sought safety in San Francisco...From the report: "The Chinese brought here with them and have successfully maintained and perpetuated the grossest habits of bestiality practiced by the human race." The map highlights the Committee's points, particularly the pervasiveness of gambling, prostitution and opium use. The Report concludes with a recommendation that the Chinese be driven out of the City by stern enforcement of the law.” PJ Mode Collection at Cornell
Image 51 of 115
e776
i42383
7054x2878px
The Minard Map of Napolean's March - 1869
DUPLICATED
You might even ask yourself, "What is a map?" And if, like Harry Beck, you take away the need for geographical accuracy, you find yourself in the world of data visualizations.
And then you discover this amazing depiction of Napolean's ill-fated 1812 Moscow campaign, seeing the tan line, from left to right, of the declining number of Napolean's troops on the way to Moscow...and the black line showing the decimation of his army in retreat.
Minard's 1869 chart showing the number of men in Napoleon’s 1812 Russian campaign army, their movements, as well as the temperature they encountered on the return path. Lithograph, 62 × 30 cm
Sayer - 2008 presidential election predicted on April 30, 2008
This image is a map depicting an online political board's prediction, posted April 30, 2008, of the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
Blue represents states the user predicted would be won by their predicted Republican nominee, U.S. Senator from Arizona John McCain, and Red represents states the user predicted would be won by their predicted Democratic nominee, U.S. Senator from New York Hillary Clinton.
The Democratic nomination had not been determined by the time of this post, unlike most modern presidential nomination contested in which a presumptive nominee is known by around April.
The prediction predicts Clinton receiving 285 electoral votes and McCain 253 electoral votes, with Clinton being elected the 44th president of the United States.
Source: TalkElections forum. The user that posted this prediction reported themselves as a Tennessee Republican.
[ 2026-01-22 15:32:56 ]
Image 57 of 115
e776
i42421
506x313px
Map of Europe by Hartman Schedel - Dilan Fernandes
Source:
Appears in the Nuremburg Chronicle authored by Hartman Schedel and published in 1493.
It seems that certain features of the map are the product of speculation. Specifically, the extent and particular path of the Carpathian Mountains seem to be the product of estimation. Generally speaking, most of the features of continental Europe and the British Isles seem to be the result of estimation. Fascinatingly, it seems that the producer of this map new that some sort of sea and land formation existed to the north of Germany, but it seems that the figure of this land and body of water was only vaguely known.
Sayer Theiss - 1854 U.S. House of Representatives elections [ 2026-01-22 16:10:21 ]
This map is sourced from Wikipedia. The colors were not necessarily the customary colors used at the time- political party color in the United States did not seriously exist in any meaningful way until the 21st century, except for the usage of red by socialist and communist parties.
Blue indicates the Democratic Party, which won 82 out of the 234 total seats.
Gold indicates the declining Whig Party, which won 55 out of the 234 total seats.
Purple indicates the American Party, also known as the Native American Party or the Know-Nothings, which won 52 seats.
Slightly-greener yellow indicates the Anti-Nebraska Party, which won 22 seats.
Red represents the Republican Party, which won 13 seats.
Green represents the People's Party, which won 9 seats.
Darker shades of each color indicates that the congressional district in question was a gain from the previous election result 2 years prior.
Projected Temperature Change in US - Travis Carroll
[ 2026-01-29 00:49:09 ]
Image 114 of 115
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i42549
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World Population 2100 [ 2026-01-29 15:05:56 ]
[ 2026-01-29 15:05:56 ]
Image 115 of 115
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Michael LesStrang
(@mjl3)
Jan 07 2026
0.1
0.22
Testing
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Michael LesStrang
(@mjl3)
Jan 07 2026
0.25
0.58
what is this
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Dalton Peters
(@ddp2)
Jan 07 2026
0.5
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Babylonian Writing
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Dalton Peters
(@ddp2)
Jan 07 2026
0.48
0.96
Map part of the artifact
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Sayer Theiss
(@sbt1)
Jan 07 2026
0.27
0.32
The Mediterranean Sea
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Sayer Theiss
(@sbt1)
Jan 07 2026
0.37
0.03
This area is supposed to be the land that existed before the biblical Great Flood, existing beyond the great ocean.
3
Sayer Theiss
(@sbt1)
Jan 07 2026
0.93
0.37
This area is supposed to be Paradise, that being the Terrestrial Paradise of Eden. Like all other land beyond the ocean, it exists beyond the great ocean.
4
Sayer Theiss
(@sbt1)
Jan 07 2026
0.66
0.59
The river is supposedly the river Gihon, mentioned in the Book of Genesis as one of the four rivers (along with the mythical Phison and the real Euphrates and Tigris) that flowed from Eden. This map has the river Gihon's terminus at the great ocean line up with the Nile's supposed southern terminus at the great ocean.
5
Sayer Theiss
(@sbt1)
Jan 07 2026
0.7
0.41
This is the mythical river Phison, that is drawn to flow into the Persian Sea, of which the Tigris and Euphrates flows out of.
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3
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Tekla Modebadze
(@tm22)
Jan 07 2026
0.45
0.25
Georgia
2
Felicia Peng
(@fp4)
Jan 07 2026
0.25
0.41
Africa
3
Tekla Modebadze
(@tm22)
Jan 07 2026
0.35
0.23
dot
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1
Michael Gredler
(@mjg15)
Jan 07 2026
0.56
0.33
This is the Northern Egyptian city of Alexandria
2
Michael Gredler
(@mjg15)
Jan 07 2026
0.56
0.33
This is the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria
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Noah Peters
(@nap5)
Jan 07 2026
0.54
0.06
The text of the map is in an Ancient Egyptian script, likely heretic script.
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Dilan M Fernandez
(@dmf3)
Jan 07 2026
0.6
1.17
Red boxes surround the names of settlements and illustrations of castles indicate greater size and the presence of fortifications as in the case of London.
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Raphael Enriquez
(@re4)
Jan 07 2026
0.29
0.12
Founding Site of Vatican City?
2
Raphael Enriquez
(@re4)
Jan 07 2026
0.16
0.44
Senate?
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tomadmin
(@tomadmin)
Jan 08 2026
0.13
0.39
Or what's the story behind "America" being shown for the first time on this 1507 map? And you find that it's because Columbus had insisted he had found the East Indies.
…while Amerigo Vespucci said he had discovered a new land.
3
tomadmin
(@tomadmin)
Jan 08 2026
0.36
0.03
The 1482 map is based on a book called Geography written by Ptolemy in 170AD, pictured here in the 1507 map we saw a few minutes ago, along with a small version of the 1482 map.
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tomadmin
(@tomadmin)
Jan 08 2026
0.46
0.35
Or, "What kind of map is this?" And you find it is a mappa mundi from the 13th century, a map of both faith and place. You can see Jesus on top and Adam and Eve on the bottom.
From the late 13th century, this is the Psalter Map, because it was found a Psalter, which is book of psalms. This map is called a mappa mundi, which historian Felicitas Schmieder refers to as "Geographies of Salvation" as they report the narrative of Christ's interaction with our world. The map includes Jerusalem, the Garden of Eden, the Red Sea, the Dead Sea, Gog and Magog, as well as a section of monstrous races.
The Psalter Map is a one of the most famous examples of a midieval mappa mundi. It was likely part of a psalm or prayer book. I love it because it is only marginally geographic and instead speaks to symbols of faith and fear. It has Jerusalem in the center and the Garden of Eden. It also a section on the right of fantastic beasts from other lands.
“The Psalter map is an English map from the thirteenth century that includes much information within it's small area Like many medieval maps, this world map subjectively presents Jerusalem, as enlarged and at the center, as Jesus overlooks the world. The map also contains many indicators of the materiality of the Middle Ages, including buildings, boats, "monstrous" human races (along the right-hand side) and the wind. Thus, the map acts as a record of how people experienced the world during this time period.” History Fine Prints (on etsy)
“Psalter World Map is the name historiography gave to a medieval world map that has been found in a psalter. This mappa mundi is now conserved at the British Library in London. The small map (c. 9.5 cm or 3.7 in high) shows a lot of detail. It was written around 1260; the author is unknown. According to historian Anna-Dorothee von den Brincken, it looks like a small version of the Ebstorf Map from Northern Germany. It is a typical mappa mundi that does not only show the geographical and historical knowledge, but also puts it into the frame of salvation history. Jesus Christ appears in the East (i.e. "above"), as the maps of Christian Middle Ages have East above, not North, giving a blessing with his right hand.” wikipedia
“A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were commonly used for learning to read. Many Psalters were richly illuminated and they include some of the most spectacular surviving examples of medieval book art.” wikipedia
The cartouche in the top left corner of the map contains the title: "An Older Map of Belgium from the Geographical Undertakings of Abraham Ortelius." Additionally, there are explanations for how the various typefaces are used. The man named in the title, Abraham Ortelius, was a Flemish cartographer born in 1527. He was native to the Habsburg Netherlands, and is most famous for his Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, which is widely considered to be the world's first global atlas.
2
Dilan M Fernandez
(@dmf3)
Jan 09 2026
0.83
0.2
The cartouche in the top right corner of the map is quite notable as the main body of the cartouche contains a conspicuous "S.P.Q.A." This likely stands for "Senatus Populusque Amstelodamensis," which means "The Senate and People of Amsterdam." This is a rather on-the-nose reference to the famous "S.P.Q.R." Here, we see a clear catering to the fascination with antiquity found among the consumers of these maps. Furthermore, it perhaps indicates a romantic fascination with "Romanitas" in the cartographer himself.
3
Dilan M Fernandez
(@dmf3)
Jan 09 2026
0.83
0.24
Additionally, within the main body of the same cartouche, the cartographer writes the following: "Abraham Ortelius, a citizen, freely and deservedly dedicated to antiquity the homeland he had restored." The caption seems to indicate that Abraham Ortelius dedicates his homeland to antiquity itself by depicting it in a manner consistent with its state in ancient times.
4
Dilan M Fernandez
(@dmf3)
Jan 09 2026
0.15
0.68
The cartouche in the bottom left corner of the map seems to be a positive review, extolling the work of Ortelius and encouraging others to study the map. The translation of the text reads: "Ortelius unlocks the monuments of ancient antiquity of the Belgae, while he reads ancient histories. Gather the earliest seeds of your native soil, Belgian, and see for yourself from what ancient stock you are newly born."
5
Dilan M Fernandez
(@dmf3)
Jan 09 2026
0.48
0.61
In accord with its purpose, the map depicts features topical to the study of Roman history. In particular, these are installations relevant to the study of the Late Republic and Caesar's campaigns in Gallia and Belgica. The map seems to be depicting the year 57 B.C. as it includes the camp of Labienus, Caesar's, most competent lieutenant, near the Sabis River. It is from this position that Labienus aided Caesar in the Battle of the Sabis River, securing for his superior a decisive victory.
6
Dilan M Fernandez
(@dmf3)
Jan 12 2026
0.39
0.54
Furthermore, Belgic tribes prominent during the time period are represented in the map, such as the Nervii, who featured prominently in the Battle of the Sabis River.
7
Dilan M Fernandez
(@dmf3)
Jan 12 2026
0.61
0.29
What appear at first glance to be inaccuracies actually represent the state of the Dutch coastline in the first century B.C.
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tomadmin
(@tomadmin)
Jan 23 2026
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what's this
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tomadmin
(@tomadmin)
Jan 14 2026
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One of the most important Asian maps, from 1710.
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tomadmin
(@tomadmin)
Jan 21 2026
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You might even ask yourself, "What is a map?" And if you take away the need for geographical accuracy, you find yourself in the world of data visualizations.
And then you discover this map of Napolean's declining troop population, in tan, on their way to Moscow in 1812, and, in black, on their retreat.
Minard's 1869 chart showing the number of men in Napoleon’s 1812 Russian campaign army, their movements, as well as the temperature they encountered on the return path. Lithograph, 62 × 30 cm
Prediction posted by user gporter on April 30, 2008 on the Talk Elections board. His profile on the website indicated he was a Republican from Tennessee.
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