Rare 1500s Globe Carved on Ostrich Eggs

[Still Waters]

A recently discovered globe from the early 1500s, carved onto ostrich eggs, may be the oldest globe of the New World ever identified, experts say.

Latin inscriptions dot its surface, and two small islands sit in the place of what we now know as North America. But the globe's origins remain a mystery.

After passing through the hands of a string of European map dealers, the artifact was purchased anonymously at a London map fair in 2012. Eventually, the rare find came into the possession of Belgian map collector Stefaan Missinne, who began to investigate it,

http://news.national...science-nation/

[Malaria_Kidd]

Five stars for my vote and Tweet. Thanks to Still Waters! Ostrich eggs are tough enough for the test of time.

[brlesq1]

Just goes to show that an artist will use anything for a canvas.

[MrScioscia]

It's called Google Maps.

[ineffectiveArtist]

And if it's 500 years old the shell of the egg hasn't decomposed why?

[seaturtlehorsesnake]

eggshells, if i remember right, are made out of mostly calcium carbonate! so i can imagine that in the right conditions, they can last for a long time.

it's a beautiful work of art in its own right (i love maps though) and pretty amazing to look at.

[shrooma]

it's a beautiful work of art in its own right (i love maps though)

.

me too PHS. the older the better.

it's interesting to view how our ancestors saw the world.

and not just with a eurocentric POV either-

maps from everywhere work just as well-

and each of them tell a story.....

[Kaa-Tzik]

I can see a gag involving Homer Simpson about this, probably also involving omlettes

[Lava_Lady]

Beautiful work!

[seaturtlehorsesnake]

shrooma, i've got an atlas somewhere that was published around 1880. it's pretty neat to look at how much the world has changed in that comparatively short period of time. and it's an excellent illustration of how thinking has changed as well, and in many ways for the better. the section on "races of the world" is... not pleasant.

on the main topic, i want to look at more maps from this period. see how people's minds in europe slowly took on the idea that there was not just a series of islands, but an entire populated continent over there.

[Mikko-kun]

I think this is undeniable proof that north america is actually atlantis that has risen again above the sea.

[highdesert50]

Perhaps we can learn from this discovery at many levels ... an insightful metaphor from the past depicting the fragility of the world.

[PersonFromPorlock]

I think this is undeniable proof that north america is actually atlantis that has risen again above the sea.

Ha! I said the ruins of Atlantis were located in New Jersey!