Does History Explain Alternate Geographical Memories?

A West Wing clip highlights some issues that make accurate geography challenging.  While this was intended as a humorous scene, some people get lost in the political implications and label this “lineral propaganda.”

In the context of alternate geography, political agendas (if there are any) aren’t the point.  History — and how it might continue to influence our maps — is relevant.

Here’s the video:

So, I think we need to look at current maps for modern-day references, and then at old maps to see if our memories are based on them.

People have reported a variety of locations that have moved.

Maybe our “alternate” memories are based on older maps from childhood geography classes, and those maps have been corrected in recent years.

Let’s rule that out, and then dig deeper.

For example, related to our discussion of Sri Lanka’s location — where it is in relation to India — I’d double- check where it is on maps in this timestream.  

The following map is provided courtesy of Google Maps, (c)2013.

The next is a topological map, courtesy of Uwe Dedering. 

So, we know where the country is, and what it looks like, on today’s maps in this timestream.

Then, I’d look at old maps of Ceylon, an earlier name for Sri Lanka. I like to go back as far as I can, and then work forward to the 21st century.

The first map is dated around 1535, by Claudius Ptolemy. 

To determine the suggested location, a north-south orientation is needed……  

First, look at where the mountains are, compared with current maps. Then, Indian geographical references must be used.

Based on the mountains, I’d guess that this showed Ceylon southwest of India. (If my reference points are wrong, I didn’t check the smaller islands indicated on that map, and they may suggest a different orientation.)

A map from around 1650 shows only the outline and geography of Ceylon, with no nearby land masses, except very small islands.  So, this map isn’t especially relevant to our study of Ceylon’s location in relation to India.

What caught my interest was how different the shape was, in this map.  I studied where the mountains are indicated, to get a sense of this map’s orientation. (This is one of several illustrations from Plantas das fortalezas, pagodes & ca. da ilha de Ceilão, a book by a cartographer and illustrator.)

Here’s another map from around 1700 – 1710, by Heinrich Scherer. Relative to India, this map suggests the southeast location indicated on maps in our current timestream. (This actual map came from the Maps Collection at the Library of Congress “American Memory” site.)

The really old maps are intriguing, but the earlier the map, the more questionable its accuracy.

It looks as if “alternate geography” memories of Sri Lanka’s location aren’t based on 20th century maps that were recently corrected. 

As far back as 1700 — and perhaps earlier — Sri Lanka (Ceylon) was represented at the southeast side of India.