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CultureQuiet 11d · day 15

Research shows African guides, not just Europeans, mapped colonial-era Africa

A historian's analysis finds African intermediaries supplied the bulk of the geographic data behind famous 19th-century European maps of West Africa.

newest coverage 10d agosummary written 10d ago5 pieces20 likes & upvotes NewswiresMastodonGoogle News

What to know

  • A September 2026 UN resolution endorsing a fairer map projection of continents prompted broader questioning of overlooked African contributions, including to cartography itself.
  • Historian Thomas Bassett's research finds African guides, interpreters and merchants supplied much of the geographic data behind colonial-era European maps of West Africa, often without credit.
  • On Jean-Baptiste Marchand's landmark 1890s map, African-sourced information accounts for 65% of the total route distance mapped.
  • African intermediaries also corrected European errors, such as disproving the long-mapped but fictional Kong Mountains.

Thomas J. Bassett Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignMoky Makura Author, journalist; head of Africa No FilterHenri Duveyrier 19th-century French explorerLouis-Gustave Binger French Navy lieutenant and explorerJean-Baptiste Marchand French Navy lieutenant and explorer

Research shows African guides, not just Europeans, mapped colonial-era Africa
theconversation.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in 4h at Oct 29, 8 AM; 5 pieces over 15 days (3 articles · 2 posts) Oct 29, 8 AM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Google News 1, Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Oct 29, 12 PM — quietOct 29, 4 PM — quietOct 29, 8 PM — quietOct 30, 12 AM — quietOct 30, 4 AM — quietOct 30, 8 AM — quietOct 30, 12 PM — quietOct 30, 4 PM — quietOct 30, 8 PM — quietOct 31, 12 AM — quietOct 31, 4 AM — quietOct 31, 8 AM — quietOct 31, 12 PM — quietOct 31, 4 PM — quietOct 31, 8 PM — quietNov 1, 12 AM — quietNov 1, 3 AM — quietNov 1, 7 AM — quietNov 1, 11 AM — quietNov 1, 3 PM — quietNov 1, 7 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Nov 1, 11 PM — quietNov 2, 3 AM — quietNov 2, 7 AM — quietNov 2, 11 AM — quietNov 2, 3 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Mastodon 1Nov 2, 7 PM — quietNov 2, 11 PM — quietNov 3, 3 AM — quietNov 3, 7 AM — quietNov 3, 11 AM — quietNov 3, 3 PM — quietNov 3, 7 PM — quietNov 3, 11 PM — quietNov 4, 3 AM — quietNov 4, 7 AM — quietNov 4, 11 AM — quietNov 4, 3 PM — quietNov 4, 7 PM — quietNov 4, 11 PM — quietNov 5, 3 AM — quietNov 5, 7 AM — quietNov 5, 11 AM — quietNov 5, 3 PM — quietNov 5, 7 PM — quietNov 5, 11 PM — quietNov 6, 3 AM — quietNov 6, 7 AM — quietNov 6, 11 AM — quietNov 6, 3 PM — quietNov 6, 7 PM — quietNov 6, 11 PM — quietNov 7, 3 AM — quietNov 7, 7 AM — quietNov 7, 11 AM — quietNov 7, 3 PM — quietNov 7, 7 PM — quietNov 7, 11 PM — quietNov 8, 3 AM — quietNov 8, 7 AM — quietNov 8, 11 AM — quietNov 8, 3 PM — quietNov 8, 7 PM — quietNov 8, 11 PM — quietNov 9, 3 AM — quietNov 9, 7 AM — quietNov 9, 11 AM — quietNov 9, 3 PM — quietNov 9, 7 PM — quietNov 9, 11 PM — quietNov 10, 3 AM — quietNov 10, 7 AM — quietNov 10, 11 AM — quietNov 10, 3 PM — quietNov 10, 7 PM — quietNov 10, 11 PM — quietNov 11, 3 AM — quietNov 11, 7 AM — quietNov 11, 11 AM — quietNov 11, 3 PM — quietNov 11, 7 PM — quietNov 11, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quiet 12
Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 9now · 12:08 AM ET
  1. 2

    Essay recirculates widely across social and news aggregators

    The article was reposted and summarized across Mastodon accounts, Google News, and Flipboard, extending reach of the finding that European explorers relied heavily on African guides, merchants and interpreters.

    • TheConversationUS@newsie.social

      European explorers got much of the credit for mapping Africa. But new research reveals how heavily they relied on African guides, merchants and interpreters. https:// theconversation.com/who-mapped -africa-debunking-the-myth-that-europeans-alone-plotted-the-continent-293657

      TheConversationUS@newsie.socialMastodon11d ago8▲view on Mastodon ↗
  2. 3 days quiet
  3. 1

    Historian Bassett debunks myth that Europeans alone mapped Africa

    University of Illinois professor emeritus Thomas J. Bassett published an essay in The Conversation arguing that colonial-era maps of West Africa relied heavily on African ground and oral mapping traditions, which Europeans largely failed to credit.

    “As an expert on the map history of Africa, I know that this is a misconception which deserves rethinking.”
    — Thomas J. Bassett

    1. 2 outlets first by Mastodon, 10d ago · also The Conversation · read ↗

  4. background

    Analysis finds African sources made up 65% of Marchand's mapped routes — Calculating the total distance of all routes on Jean-Baptiste Marchand's landmark 1890s map of the area between the Niger River and the Gulf of Guinea, Bassett finds African-sourced information accounts for 65% of the routes, shown as dashed lines versus solid lines for routes Marchand traveled himself.

  5. background

    Essay details specific cases of uncredited African mapmaking — The essay cites Henri Duveyrier's 1861 Sahara map, over a third of which came from guide Cheikh-'Othmàn's sand drawings, and Louis-Gustave Binger's 1892 reproduction of a ground plan drawn by interpreter Fofana Diawé of Niellé, a town Binger was barred from entering.

  6. background

    Makura asks what else about Africa is being underestimated — Author and journalist Moky Makura of Africa No Filter, a sponsor of the Correct the Map initiative, posed a question prompting scrutiny of other overlooked African contributions, including to historical cartography.

  7. background

    UN adopts resolution endorsing a fairer world map projection — The United Nations resolution endorsed a map projection that more accurately represents the relative size of continents, addressing how standard projections have long made Africa appear smaller than it is.