Images

The Tabula Rogeriana, as it is called in English, was made by Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi in 1154. The map was commissioned by Roger II of Sicily (r. 1130-1154) around 1138, and took nearly 15 years to complete. Eight copies of the...

This detail shows a section of the Tabula Peutingeriana, a 13th Century map of the world believed to be based on a Roman original. This section of it includes Rome, the heart of the Roman Empire. The massive scroll measures 0.34 m (1 ft 1...

The Ebstorf Map is a Medieval world map made by Gervase of Ebstorf c. 1234-1240. The original map was destroyed in 1943 during World War II, but several color facsimiles (including this image) survive.

The "Psalter World Map" was made c. 1265, and depicts the world as it was known to Medieval Europeans. Approx. 9.5 cm (3.7 in) high. (Courtesy of the British Library)

The Hereford Mappa Mundi is a world map dating to c. 1300. It is the largest surviving Medieval map, and is based on earlier maps including the 8th Century Beatus Map. The map is attributed to "Richard of Haldingham and Lafford", also known...

The "Cotton Map" is an Anglo-Saxon map of the world produced during the 12th Century. The map is oriented with East at the top, and West at the bottom, in the style of many Medieval maps. The Anglo-Saxon map is sometimes called the "Cotton...

A map illustrating the evolution of Portugal into a global colonial power following the period of European exploration of the 15th century. Portugal’s colonial Empire began in the fifteenth century, with the kings of Portugal seeking trade...

A map illustrating the various phases of expansion of the Inca Empire from its origins in the 13th century until the 16th century.

An illustration showing the manufacture of sugar from raw sugar cane. The image may represent a scene in the West Indies, although the machinery and techniques are applicable to colonial sugar plantations in the Caribbean, South America and...

A 1727 engraving showing a harbour on the island of Principe, West Africa. São Tomé and Principe were Portuguese colonies from c. 1486 to 1975.