Open AccessMaps, Travel and Exploration in the Middle Ages: Some Reflections about Anachronism
Author(s) -
Patrick Gautier Dalché
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the historical review/the historical review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.114
H-Index - 4
eISSN - 1791-7603
pISSN - 1790-3572
DOI - 10.12681/hr.8813
Subject(s) - anachronism , civilization , modernity , ptolemy's table of chords , criticism , middle ages , subject (documents) , geography , history , art , cartography , literature , ancient history , philosophy , classics , archaeology , epistemology , computer science , political science , law , politics , library science
How were maps conceived in the Middle Ages? Using the words “map”, “travel” and “exploration”, historians must be wary of anachronism. Medieval maps, like ours maps, are always materialized thought-objects and are thus interpretations of the world, inevitably variable and subject to criticism; in this respect, “modernity” has neither invented nor changed anything. The article addresses some anachronisms about the role of mappae mundi in mental journeys, their function in maritime travels and their role during the great “discoveries”; it claims that no other pre-modern civilization, except perhaps the Chinese, was ever so imbued with cartographic culture.