Overview
Why did medieval Europeans seem to have such specific knowledge about a land - even a continent - that their most daring adventurers had not yet discovered? Historians have long debated the sources of geographical information on which pre-Columbian European maps were based. Especially controversial is the question of the extent to which indigenous peoples in the high Arctic, as well as Norse colonists in Greenland, contributed to Europeans' knowledge of America. In this book, James Enterline presents evidence that the Eskimos' surprisingly competent cartographic skills provided the basis for medieval maps of areas in America which no European had yet reached. He argues that the controversial Yale Vinland Map, made public in 1965, is just one of many pre-Columbian maps, all apparently recording Norse contact with America or native Americans. Based on an exhaustive chronological survey of early maps, Enterline shows how details in the coastline of what European mapmakers thought was Arctic Asia in fact correspond closely to features on the Arctic coast of North America. Likely to spark further discussion, the book challenges the history of European America's origins. It should appeal to historians, geographers and all those interested in discovery, exploration and maps.
Full Product Details
Author: James Robert Enterline
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Imprint: Johns Hopkins University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 17.80cm
, Height: 3.00cm
, Length: 25.40cm
Weight: 0.998kg
ISBN: 9780801866609
ISBN 10: 080186660
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 16 June 2002
Recommended Age: From 17
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
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Reviews
<p> The author argues that cartographic knowledge of northern America was in fact transmitted by Eskimos to Norsemen in the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, and that the result was subsequently incorporated in maps and charts. Enterline supports his theory by convincingly showing that parts of the coastline and contours of islands in northern Europe, as shown in early maps and charts, conform almost exactly to coastlines of northern America... He has examined pre-sixteenth century cartographic and written evidence, such as maps, charts and travel reports. He analysed and compared the images and descriptions for proof of early knowledge of the existence of the New World. The author has done this thoroughly and in a professional way... Erikson, Eskimos and Columbus is the result of thorough research, and the conclusions, if perhaps controversial to some, have been carefully considered before being written down. -- Willem F. J. Moerzer Bruyns, International Journal of Maritime History
There are eighty-six items in Enterline's chronological survey, dating from Ptolemy's Geographia in the second century to Hans Poulson Resen's map of Vinland, 1605. These include maps, manuscripts, books, voyages and other events, all testifying to the breadth and inclusiveness of Enterline's research. Some will appear more convincing and pertinent than others but together they are marshaled to account for the eventual appearance of North America as a geographical entity separate from Asia... Erikson, Eskimos, and Columbus is a book worth the serious consideration of scholars interested in late medieval and early Renaissance geography and cartography. -- John Parker Terrae Incognitae The value of the book [is] as a source of information on medieval and Renaissance geography and the maps produced by the scholars and navigators of the period... Enterline's questing mind does not neglect problematic information, and provides reasoned and balanced interpretations of potentially valuable documents that are ignored by most surveys. For the reader who wishes a comprehensive introduction to a fascinating subject, guided by an author [with] stimulating ideas... this book is vigorously recommended. -- Robert McGhee The Beaver: Canada's History Magazine The author argues that cartographic knowledge of northern America was in fact transmitted by Eskimos to Norsemen in the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, and that the result was subsequently incorporated in maps and charts. Enterline supports his theory by convincingly showing that parts of the coastline and contours of islands in northern Europe, as shown in early maps and charts, conform almost exactly to coastlines of northern America... He has examined pre-sixteenth century cartographic and written evidence, such as maps, charts and travel reports. He analysed and compared the images and descriptions for proof of early knowledge of the existence of the New World. The author has done this thoroughly and in a professional way... Erikson, Eskimos and Columbus is the result of thorough research, and the conclusions, if perhaps controversial to some, have been carefully considered before being written down. -- Willem F. J. Moerzer Bruyns International Journal of Maritime History Enterline presents a plausible scenario for the transmission of Thule Eskimo and Greenland Norse geographic knowledge into the worldview of late medieval cartographers. His hypothesis will be controversial and it will stimulate scholarly debate for many years to come. It is almost certainly too extreme in its claims but it also probably contains a significant core of truth. The Johns Hopkins University Press is to be congratulated for taking a speculative chance on a speculative book. Sixteenth Century Journal This rather controversial book takes an unusual approach to the question of the sources of geographical information on which pre-Columbian European maps of America were based... While the book is for believers, its arguments are interesting and well-presented, making it an appropriate addition to most collections. Map and Geography Round Table (MAGERT) Newsletter Enterline's extensive references are well cited and he notes areas still open to interpretation. The argument proceeds logically from one point to the next and seems, to this non-specialist, to be soundly based on credible evidence. The writing style is engaging and, despite the sometimes abstruse nature of the subject matter, keeps the reader's interest. -- Sue Haffner Western Association of Map Libraries (WAML) Information Bulletin A handsomely made book, packed with numerous well-reproduced medieval and early modern maps of the world and the North Atlantic. -- John A. Agnew International History Review One must look back almost a century to Fridtjof Nansen's In Northern Mists (1911) to find a study that probes as deeply into the question of whether representations of pre-Columbian America appeared in European-made maps... The author has provided an invaluable service to historians of discovery, geography, science, cartography, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance in bringing all of this information together. -- Gregory C. McIntosh Imago Mundi Of interest to anyone with a love for maps and history. Northeastern Naturalist
<p>A handsomely made book, packed with numerous well-reproduced medieval and early modern maps of the world and the North Atlantic.--John A. Agnew International History Review (01/01/0001)
Author Information
James Robert Enterline is a mathematician and computer consultant who is well known for his work in the history of cartography. He is the author of Viking America.
