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Putting the north at the top was an artifact of the need to select a standard orientation when the printing press enabled mass production of maps. It was going
by jandrewrogers 1y ago
Putting the north at the top was an artifact of the need to select a standard orientation when the printing press enabled mass production of maps.
It was going to be north or south, thanks to the widespread existence of the magnetic compass at the time, and the printing press was invented by people in the north.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- ZeroGravitas 1y agoThe word "orientation" literally means pointing towards the rising sun i.e. East.
- nemomarx 1y agoWhat did maps from China look like around then? I assume they'd center their continent somehow
- xandrius 1y agoThe name of China in Chinese is middle/central kindgom and there are maps with different areas being at the centre, so yep.
- olalonde 1y agoThey still do. Took those pictures a few days ago in China: https://gist.github.com/olalonde/d293e54c46143c3dd905da4c0ebc4703 https://gist.github.com/olalonde/d293e54c46143c3dd905da4c0eb...
- kccqzy 1y agoThat's a Pacific-centered map not a China-centered map. You can buy these in the U.S. too; I'm sure the people of Hawaii would prefer these. https://www.natgeomaps.com/re-world-classic-pacific-centered https://www.natgeomaps.com/re-world-classic-pacific-centered or https://www.natgeomaps.com/re-world-executive-pacific-centered https://www.natgeomaps.com/re-world-executive-pacific-center...
- twelvechairs 1y agoNorth was established earlier by European sailors as the north star is visible in the sky and is hugely useful for navigation, divining latitude etc. in the northern hemisphere. The coincidence of the north star and magnetic north as major navigational tools was really too hard to ignore. Printing press and maps really started following the sailors and navigators knowledge and needs, where previously it was often religious or political (east at top facing jerusalem or 'oriented')