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Research Notes
Map Group PTOLEMY 1513
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Ptolemy 1513
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Waldseemuller's Ptolemy Map of the British Isles,
1513
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These notes are taken from the map of the British Isles, a
Ptolemy map, by Martin Waldseemuller, Strasbourg, 1513. The map
studied is in the Map Room, British Library, call number BL:Maps
C.1.d.8
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The map size is: wxh, sheet = 60x45.5cm. This is a double page
spread in its atlas which is a leather bound volume 33x46.5cm.
The atlas title, embossed on the spine, is:-
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PTOLEMAEI / GEOGRAPHIA / JOANN SCHOTT / ARGENTINE / 1513
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The header page of the atlas is the same (exactly?) as that
used by Martin Waldseemuller in his 1513 atlas with his own
woodcut maps.
NB remember that these notes are written for
Hampshire interest; they are not any sort of reasoned analysis of
Ptolemy maps of the British Isles!
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MAP FEATURES |
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HAMPSHIRE PLACES |
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| MAP FEATURES |
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title
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Printed at the top:-
TABULA PRIMA EUROPAE
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lat and long scales
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The map is drawn within a trapezium. There are scales of
latitude and longitude for a trapezoid projection on the borders;
graduated and labelled in degrees. The map includes from 8d to
33d E longitude (left to right), from 52d to 63d N; the British
Isles with Scotland more badly distorted than the rest, Ireland,
parts of the coast of Europe, and scatters of northern islands.
Be very careful reading figures off the map, their shapes are not
the familiar shapes of today's numbers. The prime meridian about
20d W of London, probably the Canary Isles in the Atlantic.
I do not intend to deduce anything from measurements of the
scales, but:-
at 52d N 26d longitude = 563 mm
at 63d N 10d longitude = 150 mm
11d latitude = 364 mm
There are labels alongside the left border. At 63d N:-
1 gradus longitu. i~hoc pal. co~tinet
miliaria 28 1/2 fere
at 58d N:-
miliaria 42 1/2
which seems wrong? The '4' is quite clear, in the expected
shape for the date of the map, perhaps a little old
fashioned.
at 53d N:-
miliaria 32 1/2
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| HAMPSHIRE |
PLACES |
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The map has few places of significance to Hampshire, and the
location of places is slightly 'hard'. Other authors have done
expert analysis of place names and locations on Ptolemy maps,
beyond my abilities, go read them.
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North of the Isle of Wight is an inlet or estuary. To the west
is:-
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Venta
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which is Winchester. At the head of the estuary is:-
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magna por
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The great port. Running NNW from the head of the estuary is a
boundary between tribal areas; on the west are the:-
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Belgae
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and on the east are the:-
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Rigni
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ie Regni
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