The Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher was one of the first compilers of semi-scientific knowledge about the physical features of the world. This extraordinary map depicts ocean currents, volcanoes, and deep-sea chasms. The continents are void of political detail and only major lakes, rivers, and volcanoes are shown. There are prominent Northwest and Northeast sea passages and a vast southern continent. Kircher's theories included the notion that the world's oceans were all interconnected and subterranean tunnels are shown connecting the oceans and seas. Published in a Dutch edition of Kircher's famous Subterranean World.

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Condition: B

A nice impression issued folding with a couple extraneous creases, light soiling, and a few short tears around a fold intersection at bottom that have been closed on verso with tape. There is a 3" tear in North America that has been repaired with archival materials and a 1.5" tear at right that has been closed with tape on verso.