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Source Description
Beneath Our Feet: Created by Jesuit priest and scholar Athanasius Kircher, this intriguing map of the earth was included in his 1665 treatise “Mundus Subterraneus.” Kircher’s early theories combined religion and science, and looked to Scripture for evidence in Earth’s formation. This map depicts all bodies of water on Earth connected by a system of underground waterways. Oceanic whirlpools feed these channels, while mountain springs derive water from these resources, creating a cycle of water above and below ground. Kircher also placed a large ball of fire in the center of the earth, suggesting that this inferno causes lava and water to rise from Earth’s interior.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
n8710p88b
label
Systema ideale quo exprimitur, aquarum per canales hydragogos subterraneos ex mari et in montium hydrophylacia protrusio, aquarumq[ue] subterrestrium per pyragogos canales concoctus
core
obj
dtoType
map
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
n8710p88b
contentType
map
stage
normalized
title
Systema ideale quo exprimitur, aquarum per canales hydragogos subterraneos ex mari et in montium hydrophylacia protrusio, aquarumq[ue] subterrestrium per pyragogos canales concoctus
description
Beneath Our Feet: Created by Jesuit priest and scholar Athanasius Kircher, this intriguing map of the earth was included in his 1665 treatise “Mundus Subterraneus.” Kircher’s early theories combined religion and science, and looked to Scripture for evidence in Earth’s formation. This map depicts all bodies of water on Earth connected by a system of underground waterways. Oceanic whirlpools feed these channels, while mountain springs derive water from these resources, creating a cycle of water above and below ground. Kircher also placed a large ball of fire in the center of the earth, suggesting that this inferno causes lava and water to rise from Earth’s interior.
date
["[1668?]"]
year
1668
rights
No known copyright restrictions.
rightsUri
No known restrictions on use.
reuseAllowed
no restrictions
language
Latin
identifierLocal
06_01_016042
creators
Kircher, Athanasius, 1602-1680
institution
Boston Public Library
collections
Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center Collection
subjects
Geology--Early works to 1800
Volcanism--Early works to 1800
World maps--Early works to 1800
subjectsGeographic
World
genreBasic
Maps
typeOfResource
Cartographic
thumbnailUrl
largeImageUrl
pageCount
1
source
import
pubPlace
[Amstelodami]
publisher
[Apud Joannem Janssonium & Elizeum Weyerstraten]
Source extras
institutionArkId
sf268508b
collectionArkId
41688024w
extent
1 map : hand color ; 33 x 41 cm
notes
Map shows a cross-section of the earth's interior with magma core and underground water sources. Earth's surface shown with oceans, land, erupting volcano and ship. Clouds and four wind-heads surround sphere, with decorative title cartouche above and Latin text below.
Volume and page number (Tomus I.175) appear in upper right corner.
From: Mundus subterraneus ... Amstelodami : Apud Joannem Janssonium & Elizeum Weyerstraten, [1668?].
hasTranscription
no
dcId
n8710p88b
type
map
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
6b95f47715e03833