AncientMaps - Geography is a specialized blog dedicated to the fascinating intersection of historical cartography, ancient geography, and the dynamic history of our planet’s landscapes. We explore milestone maps from antiquity to the Renaissance, with a particular focus on Claudius Ptolemy’s Geographike Hyphegesis, Sven Mildner’s groundbreaking multidisciplinary reinterpretation of Germania Magna, Gerhard Mercator’s revolutionary projections, and many other influential cartographers.
Through in-depth articles, we examine how ancient maps were created, transmitted, and sometimes distorted over time. We combine traditional historical geography with modern approaches such as computer-assisted distortion analysis, geodetic rectification, geodynamics, archaeometallurgy, and neocatastrophist perspectives. Topics range from the re-identification of ancient rivers and settlements (like the Vistula Fluvius with the Black Elster) to tectonic changes, climatic catastrophes such as the 536 AD event, settlement hiatuses, and the complex relationship between maps and the ever-changing Earth surface.
Whether you are interested in Ptolemaic coordinates, medieval map reconstructions, Mercator’s world maps, or the geological forces that have reshaped Central Europe and beyond, AncientMaps - Geography offers thoughtful, interdisciplinary insights that challenge conventional interpretations and reveal the true stories hidden within historical cartography.