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Early Voyages of Discovery

By aardvarchaeology on May 9, 2007.

Here's something pretty cool recommended by my amateur archaeologist and fellow honorary Chinese buddy Jerry Helliker: The Hakluyt Society.

"The Hakluyt Society seeks to advance knowledge and education by the publication of scholarly editions of primary records of voyages, travels and other geographical material.

Membership of the Society is strongly recommended to anybody interested in the history of exploration and travel, exploratory voyages, geographical discovery and worldwide cultural encounter."

The Society's latest publication is The Guiana Travels of Robert Schomburgk 1835-1844, which appeared in February.

I've done a bit of transcription work in this field, putting the first Swedish account of travels in Asia and Africa on-line in 2005: Nils Mattson Kiöping's from the mid-17th century. Prior to that, the book hadn't been re-issued in full since 1743. The book is a gem, well worth getting used to 17th-century Swedish spelling (or the lack of it). I wish the Hakluyt Society would commission me to translate it into English.

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By Mustafa Mond, FCD (not verified) on 10 May 2007 #permalink

I recently finished a marvelous biography of Olaf Rudbeck and am a little suprised he hasn't come up.

Thanks Mustafa!

Charles, are you waiting to read about Rudbeck on archaeology in general or on voyages of discovery? I'm not aware that the man ever left Europe.

He, he, amateur archaeologist? I actually graduated from university (in archaeology) and I had two jobs (one for a municipality and one for the deparment of forests) in the archaeological field.

Regarding Voyages of Discovery: a nice book with excellent pictures from the time of the East India Company is the diary of Carl Johan Gethe who travelled with the ship Götha Leijon 1746-49. This book is not printed yet but some of Gethes drawings you can see in the book "Ostindiska kompaniet" by Tore Frängsmyr (1976).