The Swahili Coast City-States
Long before European ships rounded the Cape of Good Hope, a string of wealthy and cosmopolitan city-states dotted the East African coast. From Kilwa to Zanzibar, these Swahili ports were…
Tag: ships & navigation
The Lapita People: Pacific Navigators
Meet the ancestors of the Polynesians. Over 3,000 years ago, the Lapita people used sophisticated outrigger canoes and non-instrumental navigation to undertake one of the greatest migrations in human history.…
Mapping the World Before Mercator
Before the familiar Mercator projection became the global standard, mapmakers envisioned the world in radically different ways. These fascinating pre-modern maps were not just navigational tools but windows into the…
The Women Who Ran the Lighthouses
History often pictures a grizzled sea captain at the helm, but many of America’s most vital lighthouses were run by women of incredible fortitude. Delve into the forgotten stories of…