f75r as the Caspian and Aral Seas

[Linda]

I must according to my version to support this idea. However, during the reign of Ivan IV (the Terrible) traders - travelers have reported the king that the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea is form a single body of water.
Over the past 50 years, the Aral Sea has decreased by 5 times.
Thus, it is possible for the past century due to earthquakes has disappeared an underground replenishment of the seas out of the world ocean.
The Caspian Sea is 28 meters below sea level.

Hi Wladimir,

I am still trying to figure out the state of the Aral over time, because yes, many maps show what appears to be a combination of the two, or just something wrong. it's really hard to say because some later maps copy much older maps even though updated maps had since been drawn. Maybe they didn't see them or if they did, did not believe them.

I think the current state of the Aral is due to dehydration due to lack of filling by the Amudarya, due to its waters being purposefully used for irrigation purposes, and that this has also happened in the past.

Here are some maps and times to consider:

1320 Vesconte. (East Up) Bulbous shape. There is a second Caspian shown as well, full Aral? Can't really figure out the rivers though.




1375 Catalan Atlas Bulbous shape, no Aral although it should be there? Or was it already dryng, it seems like the one river is the Uzboy/Amudarya


1414 Pirrus de Noha - Bulbous shape and what looks like a small Aral


1430 Tavola di Velletri (South up) Only one river like the Catalan Atlas


1457 Genoese Map. Different shape, the rivers seem to follow Vesconte



1566 Jenkinson map which shows Caspian oriented differently but what appears to be a prominent Uzboy river and either a dried up Aral or Aral as a much higher lake (near the orange/red rectangles) He was there himself and met with Ivan the Terrible.

1610 Jodocus Hondius. There is the bulbous shape again, no Aral unless it is very small or high up again.


Here is a 1743 map that shows the Aral not full, you can see the empty section to the right.



I was reading this pdf: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
about the Genoese Map and pictured a rival cartographer not agreeing with the choices made and making notes of things found lacking. This is quire 13 perhaps? Maybe 14 as well. Perhaps it wasn't the Genoese Map in particular, but it seems like commentary on the lack of correctness shown in maps of the time, a state which would continue for hundreds of years. Starting in 1409 with the translation of Ptolemy and followed by the sharing of information at the various Councils (Constance 1414-18 in particular) there was a lot of fodder for such opinions to be made and either discussed, or kept private.

Take another look at the Vesconte map, if you take only the lower fork of the river that goes east of the Caspian (which seems to match that shown in the Catalan Atlas) and connect it to what seems to be the Aral, you have a very similar drawing to what is portrayed on f75v. (top left quadrant of map, it is east up so turn it to the right)


[url=http://peregrinations.kenyon.edu/vol4_1/BrunnlechnerPeregrinations41.pdf][/url]