▁shell s . ▁ ▁Med ieval ▁Europe ▁ ▁Med ieval ▁maps ▁and ▁the ▁M appa ▁M und i ▁ ▁Med ieval ▁maps ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁in ▁Europe ▁were ▁mainly ▁symbol ic ▁in ▁form ▁along ▁the ▁lines ▁of ▁the ▁much ▁earlier ▁Bab yl onian ▁World ▁Map . ▁Kn own ▁as ▁M appa ▁M und i ▁( cl oth es ▁of ▁the ▁world ) ▁these ▁maps ▁were ▁circular ▁or ▁symmet rical ▁cosm ological ▁diag rams ▁representing ▁the ▁Earth ' s ▁single ▁land ▁mass ▁as ▁disk - sh aped ▁and ▁surrounded ▁by ▁ocean . ▁ ▁Italian ▁cart ography ▁and ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁port olan ▁charts ▁ ▁Roger ▁Ba con ' s ▁investig ations ▁of ▁map ▁pro jections ▁and ▁the ▁appearance ▁of ▁port ol ano ▁and ▁then ▁port olan ▁charts ▁for ▁p lying ▁the ▁European ▁trade ▁routes ▁were ▁rare ▁innov ations ▁of ▁the ▁period . ▁The ▁Major can ▁school ▁is ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁the ▁contemporary ▁Italian ▁cart ography ▁school . ▁The ▁Cart a ▁P is ana ▁port olan ▁chart , ▁made ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ▁( 1 2 7 5 – 1 3 0 0 ), ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁surv iving ▁na ut ical ▁chart ▁( that ▁is , ▁not ▁simply ▁a ▁map ▁but ▁a ▁document ▁showing ▁accurate ▁navig ational ▁directions ). ▁ ▁Early ▁modern ▁cart ography ▁I ber ian ▁cart ographic ▁schools ▁ ▁The ▁Major can ▁cart ographic ▁school ▁and ▁the ▁" normal " ▁port olan ▁chart ▁ ▁The ▁Major can ▁cart ographic ▁school ▁was ▁a ▁pre domin antly ▁Jewish