CHY 4U1 – Image Analysis
The Age of Discovery – European Exploration
Discussing the illustration:
1. A general increase in knowledge and a number of new improvements in navigation helped make the age of European exploration
possible. One example of an improvement in navigation was the ASTROLABE (shown here on the left). The Astrolabe helped measure
the altitude of the sun and stars. How can knowing the altitude of the sun and stars help navigators?
2. In the 1400s, maps began to improve greatly. ON the right is a maritime map. What parts of the world are shown most accurately on it?
From your history reading, can you describe any other improvements or discoveries that would have aided European seafaring
explorers in the 1400s?
3. The astrolabe was adapted from instruments obtained from Muslim societies. The Muslim lands were a source of other techniques and
ideas that aided the early European explorers. Why might merchants in Portugal, Spain and Italian city-states be especially likely to
learn from these Muslim societies?