Navigation and Maps

All sorts of technological innovations played a role in the exploration of the New World. One very interesting one is the portolani--maps made especially for navigation. The Germans called them "Sea Books" (seebücher).

The history of maps, and especially the development of maps during the Age of Exploration, is both interesting and colorful. Find out more not only about the maps themselves, but about the men who made them. Some of them were as colorful as their maps.

In addition to the maps, the tools of navigation were important. The one to the right is an astrolabe. How, exactly, did one work?

These became not only functional, but were crafted to be beautiful as well—a typically Renaissance approach.

This is called a compass rose. Seems pretty modest to look at. Why would it be so important to navigation? This one, by the way, was created by one of Columbus' captains, Aguiar. Their relationship is a story in itself.

You can readily find lots of pretty maps on the Net. I chose instead to include one that isn't pretty, but is remarkable. It is a map drawn by Christopher Columbus himself, of Hispaniola, one of the islands he discovered. What is its modern name?

History of Western Civilization
Boise State University