Decorative Map of Southeast Asia and North Coast of Australia

This 1683 map from Giacomo Cantelli depicts the Malay Archipelago with stunning accuracy, naming towns such as Sincapura (Singapore), Iohr (Johore), Achen (Aceh), Bendarmassin (Banjarmasin), and Macasar (Makassar) where we would find them on a modern map. Cantelli also took care to illustrate the topography of the area, incorporating symbols to denote mountainous and forested areas. This, in contrast with the plainness found in the rest of the map, and inaccuracies in Northern Australia and the area of Papua, suggests that even in the 17th century, the Malay Archipelago was not just well-known, but well-documented as well.