| In 1513, Piri Re'is, an admiral in the Turkish Navy, | | | | Dr. Charles Hapgood, author of "Maps of the |
| drew a map outlining the western coast of Africa, | | | | Ancient Sea Kings", sent a collection of ancient |
| eastern coast of South America, and the | | | | maps to be studied by Richard Strachan of |
| northern coast of Antarctica. This map was | | | | Massachusettes Institute of Technology. Mr. |
| discovered in 1929, drawn on a piece of gazelle | | | | Strachan concluded that a knowledge of spheroid |
| hide. Now, finding a map that old is remarkable | | | | trigonometry, the curvature of the earth, and |
| indeed, but finding one so detailed became a bit of | | | | methods of projection had to have been known |
| a puzzle. | | | | by the cartographers who drew these maps. |
| Being an admiral in the navy, Piri Re'is was able to | | | | A theory presented by Dr. Hapgood is that there |
| pursue his passion; cartography, but that does not | | | | was a polar shift, which was enthusiastically |
| explain how he was able to map the Antarctic | | | | embraced by Albert Einstein, and therefore, this |
| coast with such detail. Especially since the coastline | | | | part of the Antarctic was not covered by ice as |
| was covered in ice at that time and had been for | | | | far back as previously assumed. This, theory |
| ages! Of course, there was another advantage to | | | | however, does not diminish the fact that perfect |
| being able to sail the seas for Piri Re'is, and that | | | | lines of longitude and latitude were made not only |
| was that he had access to many of the maps | | | | on this map, but many other ancient maps from |
| that were drawn before his, and it has been | | | | these extremely early periods in our history, that |
| determined that he got much of his information | | | | the mathematical knowledge used by these early |
| from comparing and confirming the details in | | | | sailors was astounding, that these people knew |
| those maps. So, one would assume that he got | | | | they wouldn't fall off the end of the Earth, and |
| many of the details of the Antarctic coast from | | | | that they actually had ships that could survive |
| maps charted before his, but there is a problem | | | | these treacherous waters. |
| with that assumption, that part of the Antarctic | | | | It is rather vain of us to think that the reason we |
| has been determined by scientific studies to have | | | | are so advanced is because we are more |
| been covered by ice for roughly 6,000 years! So | | | | intelligent than our ancestors. What knowledge we |
| what advanced civilization was around 6,000 years | | | | have and what technology we enjoy is nothing |
| ago with the technology to not only provide these | | | | different than what great individuals have done |
| accurate details, but make a map of some kind | | | | through the ages, and that is to build upon the |
| from which to copy? | | | | experiences and wisdom of those before them. |
| During the Middle Ages, there were a compilation | | | | Bravery, intellect, curiosity, and innovation existed |
| of maps called "portolani", which showed the | | | | thousands of years before us, by civilizations we |
| popular sailing routes. These were of great use to | | | | may not even be aware of, and while it is good |
| the sailors of the early times. But there were also | | | | and right of us to honor their accomplishments |
| maps of less known routes and coasts. These | | | | with awe, it is better of us to build on the |
| maps were well guarded by those who | | | | knowledge they have passed down to us, and |
| possessed them. Christopher Columbus was said | | | | use it as a positive influence for all people. |
| to own a few of these rare maps. The Library of | | | | Other great and mysteriously accurate maps are: |
| Alexandria was also known to have accurate | | | | "Dulcert's Portolano", 1339, drawn with perfect |
| maps of these lesser known routes, drawn from | | | | latitude lines of Europe and North Africa, and |
| the stories and experiences of ancient voyages | | | | longitude lines of the Mediterranean and Black Sea |
| passed down from generation to generation by a | | | | that are off by merely half a degree. |
| number of the earliest civilizations. | | | | A map drawn by Turkish Hadji Ahmed, 1559, that |
| In 1204, some of these rare maps were also | | | | shows a strip of land joining Siberia and Alaska. |
| found in Constantinople, and were being used by | | | | A map drawn by Oronteus Fineus, who also drew |
| European sailors. It became clear that voyages | | | | the accurate coast of Antarctica, and also |
| were made from pole to pole by ancient | | | | showed Greenland as two separate islands, which |
| mariners, and that some of these ancient peoples | | | | has been recently proven by a French polar |
| sailed before the antarctic was covered by ice. | | | | expedition. |
| Not only this, but they had extremely accurate | | | | The "Zeno's chart", 1380, showing a large area |
| instruments of navigation and could plot lines of | | | | including Greenland, whose precision is uncanny. |
| longitude and latitude more accurately than the | | | | A map copied by a carving on a large rock |
| European sailors of the day. | | | | column in China, 1137, with so many common |
| In 1953, the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Bureau | | | | points found on western maps that one might |
| evaluated the Piri Re'is map and concluded that | | | | assume they came from a common source. |
| such accuracy could only be drawn by way of | | | | The "Hamy-King Chart", 1502, while containing a |
| aerial surveillance, and as if that weren't amazing | | | | few errors that were probably a result of the |
| enough, the Hydrographic Bureau even found | | | | compilation of several maps using different styles, |
| mistakes in some of the maps of the present | | | | it is impressive as a world map showing the whole |
| day, and used the Piri Re'is map to make | | | | of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. |
| corrections! Okay, so who flew 6,000 years ago? | | | | |