title: The Reinterpretation of Claudius Ptolemy's Germania Magna
title: with the help of computer-aided image distortion of a medieval map representation of Donnus Nicolaus Germanus - and considerations on the postglacial geodynamics of Europe
titleType: Subtitle
Creators: name: Mildner, Sven
Publisher: name: Sven Mildner
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Geology
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: Archaeology
subject: History
subject: History and archaeology
subject: FOS: History and archaeology
subject: Medieval history
subject: Ancient history
subject: Physical geography
subject: Planetary geology
subject: Coastal geography
subject: Plate tectonics
subject: Glacial geology
subject: Europe
subject: Niedersachsen
subject: Schleswig-Holstein
subject: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
subject: Brandenburg
subject: Ziltendorfer Niederung
subject: Oderbruch
subject: Scandia
subject: Scandzia
subject: Goths
subject: Gotones
subject: Nomisterium
subject: Stragona
subject: Budorigum
subject: Oder
subject: Spree
subject: Schwarze Elster
subject: Black Elster
subject: Albis Fluvii
subject: Vistula Fluvius
subject: Baltica
subject: Alpine orogeny
subject: Scandinavia
subject: Central European depression
subject: North Sea Central Graben
subject: Oceanus Germanicus
subject: Continental drift
subject: Viking settlements
subject: Thor Suture Zone
subject: Trans-European Suture Zone
subject: Caledonian Deformation Front (CDF)
subject: Postglacial land uplift
subject: Claudius Ptolemy
subject: Germania Magna
subject: Chiemgau-Impact
subject: Chiemgau-Einschlag
subject: Hallstatt
subject: Celts

description: Projektwebsite: https://www.germania-magna.de

Die Neuinterpretation der Germania Magna des Claudius Ptolemaios durch Sven Mildner - mit Hilfe computergestützter Bildverzerrung einer mittelalterlichen Kartendarstellung des Donnus Nicolaus Germanus - und Betrachtungen zur postglazialen Geodynamik Europas

PREPRINT

Mildner, Sven. (2020). The Reinterpretation of Claudius Ptolemy's Germania Magna - with the aid of computer-assisted image distortion of a medieval map by Donnus Nicolaus Germanus - and considerations on the postglacial geodynamics of Europe. 10.23689/fidgeo-5907.

A New Interpretation of Ptolemy's Germania Magna: Employing Computer-Assisted Image Distortion of a Medieval Map by Donnus Nicolaus Germanus to Examine Post-Glacial Geodynamics in Europe

This paper revisits Claudius Ptolemy's depiction of Germania Magna through a multidisciplinary approach, integrating computer-aided distortion analysis of Donnus Nicolaus Germanus's medieval cartography with geological insights. The study proposes that the region underwent significant and complex transformations, likely influenced by tectonic activity, such as the reactivation of the Caledonian Deformation Front (CDF), a major geological structure in Europe that separates ancient orogenic belts, and possibly by cosmic events like the Chiemgau impact, a proposed meteorite impact in southern Germany. A reevaluation of Germanus's map, aligned with modern cartographic data, challenges long-held interpretations of Germania Magna's boundaries. The analysis suggests that Ptolemy's Vistula Fluvius corresponds more closely to the present-day Schwarze Elster in Germany rather than the Vistula River (Weichsel) in Poland. Building on this reinterpretation, the study further examines the potential regression of the Oceanus Germanicus, attributing it to tectonic shifts, volcanic activity, or changes in relative sea level. These environmental processes may have profoundly shaped settlement patterns and cultural development, influencing not only coastal areas but also extending to all regions of Germania Magna, as communities presumably adapted to substantial environmental changes. By situating Germania Magna within the broader framework of geological, cosmic, and climatic phenomena, this study offers new insights into pivotal events and processes that could have shaped the environmental and cultural landscape of Northern and Central Europe in antiquity. It aims to encourage further interdisciplinary research and a critical reassessment of historical and archaeological interpretations.
description: Zur Längenbestimmung eines Ptolemäus-Grades - Ergänzung zur Neuinterpretation der Germania Magna (doi: 10.31223/X5313T)

Mit der Neuausrichtung der Germania Magna Karte entsprechend dieser Interpretation ergibt sich gleichzeitig auch ein neuer Wert für die Länge eines Ptolemäus-Grades. Die nachfolgende Ausführung dient daher zur besseren Nachvollziehbarkeit des Rechenweges zur Bestimmung dieses Wertes.

Zur Herleitung werden zunächst die beiden Flüsse herangezogen, die die Germania Magna im Osten und im Westen begrenzen und von denen uns durch Ptolemäus die Koordinaten für den Mündungsbereich in den Oceanus Germanicus überliefert worden sind.