Ancient maps.

[neema]

So I’ve been searching the net looking for certain old maps. Unfortunately the maps online all seem to be of low resolution, on purpose I suppose. Other then trying out the major library here in Vancouver BC, not holding my breath, does anyone know how one could get a hold of high-rez copies of maps like the portolano of lehudi ibn ben zara?

 

[neema]

Okay well with a little further research I ran into Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings.

Just bought a copy.

And as I can see its also on the short list of recommended reading references from The Secret History.

http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,1725.msg9281.html#msg9281

 

[seek10]

Okay well with a little further research I ran into Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings.

I bought this book and it was very interesting. Given the additional information C's gave during the last few years, I wonder whether we can put some possible dates to these maps (hopefully they are not fake). Obviously to make sense, we need high resolution maps to come to some opinion. If the map is of portolano format, that needs translation.

The Piri Reis Map of 1513 is a typical portolano in appearance. The usual portolan chart is characterized by groups of eight, sixteen, or thirty-two lines radiating from one or more centers on the chart, like the spokes of a wheel. These lines, or rhumbs, are equally spaced at angles of 45, 221/2 or 111/4 degrees apart. It has hitherto been supposed that this system of radial lines originated as actual course lines between various ports, that is, compass courses. It has not been supposed posed that any mathematical system underlay these portolan charts.

It is this assumption that has now been destroyed by the discoveries made by Professor Hapgood and his students. They have proved that, in the cases of several of these maps, the portolan design is based on geometry and may be translated by plane or spherical trigonometry into the terms of modern latitudes and longitudes.

Charles H. Hapgood. Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings: Evidence of Advanced Civilization in the Ice Age (Kindle Locations 2342-2347). Kindle Edition.

Core Maps Central to Hapgood's Thesis

Map	Year	Key Features Hapgood Highlights	Why It's Important in the Book
Piri Reis Map	1513 (Ottoman)	Shows parts of South America, Africa, and what Hapgood claims is the Antarctic coast (Queen Maud Land) with rivers and mountains under the ice.	The starting point of the book. Hapgood claims it proves accurate longitude and pre-Columbian knowledge of Antarctica.
Oronteus Finaeus (Oronce Fine) Map	1531 (French)	Depicts the entire continent of Antarctica with detailed coastlines, rivers, and mountain ranges that Hapgood says match sub-glacial features.	One of the strongest examples; Hapgood identifies ~50 geographical features matching modern maps of ice-free Antarctica.
Hadji Ahmed (Haji Ahmad) Map	1559 (Turkish)	Shows the Americas (North and South) with surprising accuracy in outline and some interior details.	Suggests ancient mapping of the New World long before European discovery.
Mercator Maps (various projections)	1569 and earlier	Includes polar and world projections showing northern and southern regions.	Used to compare with Oronteus Finaeus; Hapgood sees echoes of ancient source maps.
Philippe Buache Map	1737 (French)	Early map of Antarctica showing two large landmasses separated by water (based on older sources).	Antarctic mapping example; Hapgood links it to the same ancient tradition.

C's put Piri Reis Map date as 12K BCE. Not all maps from Venetian school of 16th-century cartography are replications from old maps . Some are understanding of the world in 16th century. Is it possible to put some dates to these maps?

Some assumptions Hapgood made

1. The center of the portolan grid was located at the intersection of the Tropic of Cancer and the Meridian of Alexandria, that is, at 23° 30' N, 30° E.
2. The radius from this center to the perimeter of the circle on which the minor projection points are located is 69.5°, or 3° longer than the distance from the Tropic of Cancer to the North Pole. The drawing of the projection involved, then, an overestimate of the circumference of the earth amounting to about 4.5°.
3. Projection Point III on the map was presumed to lie precisely on the Equator.

Here are zoomable version of these maps.

1. Piri Reis Map (1513)​

• Best zoomable viewer: Google Arts & Culture (excellent detail and zoom)The Piri Reis World Map - Google Arts & Culture
• High-resolution image (full surviving fragment): Wikimedia Commons (very large file, supports deep zoom)File:Piri reis world map 01.jpg - Wikimedia Commons(Direct high-res: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Piri_reis_world_map_01.jpg)
• Alternative zoomable viewer: https://medea.fc.ul.pt/view/chart/283/viewer

2. Oronteus Finaeus (Oronce Fine) Map (1531)​

This is the double-cordiform (heart-shaped) world map that Hapgood heavily analyzed for its Antarctic depiction.

• High-resolution scan with zoom: Boston Public Library / maps.bpl.orgNoua, et integra vniuersi orbis descriptio - Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center (search or direct link from the record)
• Wikimedia Commons version (good quality, zoomable in viewer):File:World map from 1532.jpg - Wikimedia Commons(Note: Often dated 1531/1532; this is the relevant polar projection version Hapgood used.)

For clearer Antarctic detail, many reproductions exist, but the BPL link above is one of the cleanest for zooming.

3. Hadji Ahmed (Haji Ahmad / Hajji Ahmed) Map (1559)​

• High-resolution image: Wikimedia CommonsFile:The World Map of Hajji Ahmed (1559).jpg - Wikimedia Commons
• Direct large file: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/... (follow the file page for full resolution)

4. Philippe Buache Map of Antarctica (1737/1739)​

• David Rumsey Map Collection (excellent zoomable interface, multiple versions):Search here: Verify Access
• Specific chart: "Chart of the Antarctic Polar Circle" – available via University of Texas or Rumsey viewers.

5. Mercator World Map (1569)​

Hapgood references Mercator’s projections for comparison.

• High-resolution zoomable composite: David Rumsey Map CollectionVerify Access (re-projected versions and originals)
• Wikipedia high-res sheets: Mercator 1569 world map - Wikipedia (links to individual high-res sheets and composite)