Causes of the expansion Several factors drove exploration in the second half of the 15th centur y : Navigational instruments The use of certain navigational instruments during the 15th centur y made travel much easier than in the Middle Ages. Cartography From the end of the Middle Ages onwards, long-distance trade grew and it became necessar y to establish new routes. This drove developments in cartography. (4) From the 13th centur y onwards, portolan charts, or nautical charts, were used to map maritime routes. (31) 2. Technological development. The key to expeditions 4. Sebastian Cabot: sailor, explorer and cartographer. He made a map in the 16th century, on which he marked the main explored lands. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Europe went through a great expansion that allowed its population to understand more accurately what the Earth and its territories were like. COMMUNICATION Find out and explain how the compass and the astrolabe worked. The astrolabe (5) and the quadrant determined latitude by measuring the altitude of the Sun or the Pole Star above the horizon . The longitude was approximate and could not be exactly determined until the 18th centur y. The log and the sandglass were used together to measure the ship's speed . (6) The compass came to Europe from the East. It had a magnetised needle that always pointed north , so that it was possible to navigate without using the coast. (7) This made night navigation easier and shortened voyages. 5. Astrolabe 6. (A) Log and (B) sandglass 7. Compass A B New trade routes In 1453, the Turks conquered Constantinople, the gateway to Europe for many luxur y goods from the East. This event ended the Byzantine Empire and disrupted European trade along the Silk Road . Merchants had to find alternative routes to Asia . An interest in exploration There was also a great interest in exploration as a way to discover new opportunities and to become famous. This was triggered by the spread of travel books, describing the riches of the East. An example is The Travels of Marco Polo, about the famous Venetian merchant. 130
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