Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6.
Right hand lower part of the genuine map
5.2. Genuine map from the geographical point of view with a short introduction
of the history of cartography of Russia
To examine the subject of the Jenkinson's map from the geographical point of view, it is
worth devoting some place to history of cartography of Russia. Obviously, this field is best
known by native scholars. One of them is for instance Professor Alexey V. Postnikov. Before
we take into account his publication from 2000, we should go back to the ancient times. Here
should be mentioned for example Hecataeus of Miletus (c. 550 - 480 BC), Herodot from
Halicarnassus (c. 484 - 425 BC), Dicearchus of Messana (c. 350 - 285 BC) or Eratostenes (c.
276 - 196 BC) and of course many others. On the map of the world by Dicaearchus it is the
most amazing because already depicted in south-north extension of the Caspian Sea, and as
we know this error was presented on early maps up until the beginning of the 18
th
century,
for instance on J.B. Homann's map in 1720 (“
Generalis Totius Impeii Moscoviti”
). As well as on
the Dicaearchus map, there is already a symbol of the cartographic net in form of two
perpendicular lines - the meridian which crosses Rhodos Island and parallel, so called
diaphragma, which start from Pillars of Hercules (Strait of Gibraltar), and it runs to the
Himalaya Mountains. The proper shape of Caspian Sea was undoubtedly known by ancient
people, what we can learn from the article by Leo Bagrow
11
.
On the maps of ancient geographers and cartographers untill the times of Claudius
Ptolemaeus (100 - c.168) one may observe the development of geographical knowledge.
11
Bagrow, L.,
Italians on the Caspian,
Imago Mundi 13, pp. 2-10
