Archaeology & History

500-year-old globe carved on to ostrich egg

By T.K. Randall
August 23, 2013 ·  12 comments

Image Credit: CC 3.0 Politikaner Cartographers have inscribed maps on to a number of different surfaces over the years, but the shell of an ostrich egg is particularly unusual. Originally purchased anonymously at a London map fair in 2012, the artifact eventually found its way to Belgian map collector Stefaan Missinne who has since been investigating its origins.

Although its clearly made from an ostrich egg, the globe has generated skepticism among experts because of its questionable origins and because it isn't completely clear how old it is. The level of calcium bone density in the egg indicates that it is definitely old, but it's possible the map was inscribed on to it at a later date.

Source: National Geographic | Comments (12)

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