how were the geographical maps being drawn before the artificial satellites were invented?

Question

well i mean to ask that in ancient days, before any technological advance was made, how could they draw the coastal lines, and other data so exactly?(before 1300 AD)

Answer 1

I think the sailors should be given the credits for that, since they've existed b4 the planes came to be. They used various equipments like compasses and telescopes and the stars were used as guides. So I believe they used arbitrary lines to map out areas.

Answer 2

Plane table mapping tied to triangulations of a baseline. Using pins, chain and compass a long line is carefully measured between two points visible to each other; the tops of two hills say. A plane table is set over the first point (Station A). A point on one side of a paper is marked to represent Sta A. A ruler (an alidade) is set on the page and sighted along to the second point (Station B) to be marked on the other side of the paper. This is a base line of known length on the ground and on the page. This can now be converted into a scale. Next, other sighting are made from Sta A: church steeples, chimneys, weather vanes, peaks, tree topping towers constructed for the purpose… What ever is handy to the task and easily describable and relocatable. A line is scribed on the page radiating form the point representing Sta A to the target. The plane table is then moved to Sta B and set up so that the baseline can be sighted along to Sta A. Again the targets sighted earlier are sighted along the rule and a second line is scribed to the target radiating from Sta B. The individual points where each pair of lines cross marks the direction and scale distance to each of the targets. The scale can now be used to calculate the actual distance between any two points in the area mapped. One of the pronounced, distant points mapped will then be selected as Sta C. The plane table can then be set up over that point and the exercise started over on a neighboring triangle on second order baselines , CA and CB. And again, and again, and again… From one end of India to the other. Finer scale maps can then be drawn using the large scale map to locate each to the others. Edit: For a Brunton (Geo WP) I'll be there too. I'm bringing chocolate milk and beef jerky.

Answer 3

Check out surveying in Wikipedia, pretty interesting.

Answer 4

Airplane photographs.. via loran.

Answer 5

cartography