Mapping Out The Unknown by Olga Tsubiks

This visualization reviews the data discovery process through the example of the 'discovery' of the Americas by early European sea explorers and cartographers.

Original maps from David Ramsey Historical Map Collection were overlayed on top of the modern map of the world to create a view of the Americas through the visualizations (maps) of the early explorers.

You can read the blog post on the methodology behind this project and learn about taking scanned map files of old maps and mapping them onto the modern world map using coordinates (where available) or by matching features such as lakes, rivers, and cities.

Hover over islands and continents to learn about voyages and maps that visualized the 'discoveries of new territories' allowing others, empowered by the new knowledge, to go even further.