C o nt r i b u t i o n s of Fo r m e r
03 I AS C P re s i d e nt s
3.1
The Progress of Science
and International Cooperation
in Arctic Science
E. Fred Roots (President 1991-1993)
to set at summer solstice,“ and indeed, observed
that the great white bear Arctos itself roamed
on the ocean. Thus, through astronomic and field
observations, aspects of the character of the Arctic
were confirmed, and reasonably correctly described,
by Greek and Roman scholars.1
IASC has a background of a long evolution of the
Subsequent scholars built on the concepts of the
progressive growth of knowledge about the Arctic
Arctic based on Pytheas‘ exploration. The most in-
regions, and of endeavors to increase that know-
fluential was Nicholas of Lynne, of England, who in
ledge and to relate it to the rest of the world.
CE 1360 produced a book, in Latin, “De Inventione
IASC itself is a step toward continuing world-wide
Fortunata—qui liber incipit a gradua 54 usque ad
advancement of that knowledge.
polum“ (which book describes from Latitude 54 to
the Pole), which became widely known. This book is
Early Concepts
quoted by the influential Flemish cartographer Mer-
Beginning with the Greek astronomers who, in the
cator as the reference for his polar projection maps
fourth century BCE, gave names to the constella-
of the Arctic regions, which were revised progres-
tions in the northern hemisphere sky and identi-
sively from 1538 to 1595 as further explorations
fied that the northernmost regions were under the
added facts and detail, so that his latest map, while
constellations of the bears ARCTOS, and that all
retaining some imaginative mythology, is truly an
the stars seemed to revolve around a fixed point,
expression of international Arctic knowledge from
which they called POLARIS, in the tail of the little
exploration and scholarship (including acceptance
bear (known in Latin as URSA MINOR), concepts
of widely known myths) at the time.2 That map,
about the Arctic and the Polar Regions were firmly
showing four mythical islands near the North Pole
embedded in the international knowledge systems
but with clear Northwest and Northeast Passages
of Europe.
around North America and Eurasia, provided the basis for Arctic exploration, planning, and empire-build-
In about 320 BCE, Pytheas made the first voyage
other cartographers in the late sixteenth century
along the coastal regions of the eastern North At-
complied maps restricted to known discoveries (cf.
lantic (perhaps west to Iceland), encountered sea
eg. Barentsz 1598)3 compiled maps restricted to
ice—“a mixture of land, sea, and air on which one
known discoveries. Both Mercator‘s maps showing
can neither walk or sail,“—noted that the hours of
islands in the central Arctic Ocean, and the Barentz
sunlight and darkness changed greatly with the
map, which kept blank spaces where land and seas
seasons as one went north until ”the Sun refused
65
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ing for the next several centuries, even though
to the Arctic for which there is a record. He travelled
were unknown, served as spurs to further explora-
03 Contributions of Former IASC Presidents