Posts Tagged ‘Spanish explorers’

Spanish and English explorers based their claims to trade and territory on rituals of possession and on maps. Mapping involved taking compass bearings, measuring latitude, (guessing longitude), and lowering lead lines to get depth soundings. Much of the work was done from smaller long boats, sent out from a mother ship to explore  the contours of a coast previously unknown to Europeans.

As you would expect, a significant part of the Saturna Project involves maps as well.
Our team has been very involved with finding good sources, developing animations and using them to illustrate stories of the early European explorations. They’re pretty useful today too, whether you’re looking for the Lamb Barbeque or just a place to pull up your kayak.

Narvaez' Map

Along with Google Earth and online historical map sites, there are serendipitous finds too. One map came to us from Rick Stringfellow, a producer with Electronic Arts, who was here at MDM teaching a design course. It turns out that many years ago he purchased an early map of Canada in a small shop in England and has now made it available to our project. Thank you Rick!