Turkic World Map
Mahmud Kashgari’s map of the Turkic world from the late 11th century. North is on the left. The thick orange lines are mountains. Green is water.
There are two major different types of Marshall Islands navigation charts: meddo and mattang. Meddo are like island maps, while Mattang are training tools that illustrated ocean movement, wind patterns and wave interactions around the islands. Mattang navigation stick chart is made from the flexible midribs of coconut fronds, with individual islands represented by the lashed junction of the fronds.
Stick charts are an incredible form of cartography that maps the prevailing ocean wave crests and directions. They enabled navigators to find their way across the vast distances between islands. Navigators and their apprentices memorised the charts before a voyage rather than consulting them during the journey. The use of stick charts ended after World War II, when electronic technologies were introduced to the Marshall Islands. Craftspeople make these charts today for display on the walls of homes both in the Marshalls and overseas. They stand as proud statements of their heritage as some of the world’s finest navigators.
It was collected by P.G. Black in 1906 and is one of the Australian Museum’s 200 Treasures, in the Westpac Long Gallery.