Due to its exceptional length (5 metres 47 cm) and age (1504-1505), this map holds a prominent place in the cartography of Flanders and the Netherlands. Because various types of sea-going vessels are found on the map, together with more than 150 toponyms and a plethora of illustrations of a landscape, architectural or nautical nature, the document plays a significant role in the collective memory. The Scheldt map is a quite precisely dated and richly illustrated snapshot with great value in terms of toponymy and historical geography, and therefore fulfils an important role in cartographic research in Flanders (high calibration and linking function).
Source credit: Anonymous, 1504-1505, Scheldt map from Rupelmonde to the North Sea, FelixArchief, Public Domain