The Medieval World View: Contemplating the Mappamundi
Evelyn Edson
Looking at a medieval mappamundi (or world map) is disorienting experience. Oriented to the east, displaying unfamiliar geographical forms and blanketed with images of strange animals monstrous humans, it does not correspond our modern concept map. In late 19th century scholars history cartography dismissed maps as sign ignorance. More recent studies have cast new light on these complex symbolic constructions, are searching for insights into concepts time space, well clues ways in which knowledge ancient geography was transmitted intellectual world.
History Compass