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More readable link: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1344404814256504832.html
Thank you for this -- I don't understand why anyone would think a long string of tweets is a good way to communicate this kind of information.
> References in Greek texts from the 4th century BC are IMO suggestive of early voyages to the coast of West Africa, the nearest navigable mangrove forests (unless shipworm managed to somehow get carried across the Sinai isthmus) Simon Winchester discusses how Cape Bojador [1] was impassible until 1443 (in his book Atlantic [2]) so it is unlikely that early voyages reached any further south along the coast of West Af…
What about Cape Bojador made it impassible for so long? I know essentially nothing about navigation or ships in general besides that they don't travel over land particularly well[0], so if you know of an easy to digest resource I'd really appreciate it. [0]: except near Constantinople, obviously
> References in Greek texts from the 4th century BC are IMO suggestive of early voyages to the coast of West Africa, the nearest navigable mangrove forests (unless shipworm managed to somehow get carried across the Sinai isthmus) Simon Winchester discusses how Cape Bojador [1] was impassible until 1443 (in his book Atlantic [2]) so it is unlikely that early voyages reached any further south along the coast of West Af…
What about Cape Bojador made it impassible for so long? I know essentially nothing about navigation or ships in general besides that they don't travel over land particularly well[0], so if you know of an easy to digest resource I'd really appreciate it. [0]: except near Constantinople, obviously
> References in Greek texts from the 4th century BC are IMO suggestive of early voyages to the coast of West Africa, the nearest navigable mangrove forests (unless shipworm managed to somehow get carried across the Sinai isthmus) Simon Winchester discusses how Cape Bojador [1] was impassible until 1443 (in his book Atlantic [2]) so it is unlikely that early voyages reached any further south along the coast of West Af…
What about Cape Bojador made it impassible for so long? I know essentially nothing about navigation or ships in general besides that they don't travel over land particularly well[0], so if you know of an easy to digest resource I'd really appreciate it. [0]: except near Constantinople, obviously
> References in Greek texts from the 4th century BC are IMO suggestive of early voyages to the coast of West Africa, the nearest navigable mangrove forests (unless shipworm managed to somehow get carried across the Sinai isthmus) Simon Winchester discusses how Cape Bojador [1] was impassible until 1443 (in his book Atlantic [2]) so it is unlikely that early voyages reached any further south along the coast of West Af…
What about Cape Bojador made it impassible for so long? I know essentially nothing about navigation or ships in general besides that they don't travel over land particularly well[0], so if you know of an easy to digest resource I'd really appreciate it. [0]: except near Constantinople, obviously
The problem was solved with math.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What about Cape Bojador made it impassible for so long? I know essentially nothing about navigation or ships in general besides that they don't travel over land particularly well[0], so if you know of an easy to digest resource I'd really appreciate it. [0]: except near Constantinople, obviously
The Wikipedia article says it’s a combination of dangerous shallows and unfavorable winds all year near the shore. The way to avoid those was to sail around it, beyond the sight of land. This was something ancient ships couldn’t do because they relied on seeing the land for navigation.
I'll re-evaluate this perception after I've slept, but it feels like key facts are buried in storytelling in a way I don't see often on Wikipedia. Could just be me, I'm not sure.
Edit: I think what I'm describing is a textbook example of a buried lede.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What about Cape Bojador made it impassible for so long? I know essentially nothing about navigation or ships in general besides that they don't travel over land particularly well[0], so if you know of an easy to digest resource I'd really appreciate it. [0]: except near Constantinople, obviously
The book Atlantic is where I came across it. Sand shoals force ships into the currents of the North Atlantic Gyre which the Portuguese mastered before tackling the Cape Bojador problem; see Volta do Mar [1] which has a great diagram. The problem was solved with math. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volta_do_mar
I wonder which had more of an impact... this or the Spinning Wheel
Were you thinking of the spinning jenny?
I wonder which had more of an impact... this or the Spinning Wheel
The spinning wheel is at least several centuries old, so it seems unfair to ask how much of an impact it had on the industrial revolution. How much of an impact did agriculture have? Were you thinking of the spinning jenny?
From my understanding as described in Das Kapital, things took off once it was realised a single person could do the job of multiple people using machines rather than tools