900-1250 C.E. Optimistic Trade Networks

[waldronate]

One style that might be interesting as far as leveraging the basic map would be to use a size-reduced version of the whole map with insets for the more congested or important areas with the insets made from crops of the full-res map. Those insets could occupy the otherwise unused space around the edges. As always, the purpose of the map will dictate the final result. What you have there would be nice printed as a 36 inch high hardcopy; what I described with the insets would be more suitable for lower-resolution online use.

[MartinMånsson]

One style that might be interesting as far as leveraging the basic map would be to use a size-reduced version of the whole map with insets for the more congested or important areas with the insets made from crops of the full-res map. Those insets could occupy the otherwise unused space around the edges. As always, the purpose of the map will dictate the final result. What you have there would be nice printed as a 36 inch high hardcopy; what I described with the insets would be more suitable for lower-resolution online use.

Yes, i have contemplated this. The purpose is to be able to really follow the trade routes in detail from China to Iberia. Where all kinds of topography is there to help you understand how and why the routes and successful cities are where they are. I'm afraid that insets would take this away. The focus is not in specific areas, but on the whole picture, which is something that i've found is lacking in terms of other images that tries to depict global trade networks - either they're restricted geographically, or they are very general. So this map is sort of a response to the lack of detailed maps of this kind in this specific subject.

However i could use insets like this with the current map, and place them in the blank areas. Perhaps this is what you meant, if so, i'm sorry. And yes, that would be a good idea. The purpose for the map is online use, and the target audience is people interested in detailed global medieval trade networks. So my hope is that people who seek this information, will appreciate the extent of the map. But small zoom-ins would also add to this. The geographical importance of say Aden and Muscat, who has very interesting protected natural harbors, are not showcased here - which a zoom-in could fix.

Thanks for the feedback and ideas, i'll see if the file can handle it.