|
The place names and the many legends (commentaries) on the map
offer fascinating opportunities for further research, not just
in the west, but in Asia as well. The portrayal of China and many
islands in the seas to the east of it owe much to Marco Polo,
the famous Venetian whose dictated account of his travels was
written down in 1298.
|
The cross of Prester John, legendary Christian king whose kingdom
was sometimes located in Africa, appears in Asia on Waldseemüller's
wall map.
|
|
Waldseemüller's wall map is the largest and most detailed world
map to its time (Whitfield 1994, 48). The map incorporates classical
and modern sources, presenting a scholarly world view based on
comparisons of Ptolemaic maps with new maps and accounts.
|
Under the Magnifying Glass
