Marshall Islands stick chart

The staff map is a navigational instrument in Polynesia. The islanders used these cards before driving rod as a memory aid and guidance for wind and water currents and wave formations. At sea, military maps were not used.

Shaping

A bar chart consists of a grid of coconut leaf ribs which are connected with coconut strings. The overview maps small cowrie shells are bonded to the rods.

A bar chart is shown in the lower part of the crest of the Marshall Islands.

Operation

The staff maps were not used at sea, but only for the training of navigators on land. You are no charts in the "western" sense. They were not the determination of the current position, but should show the Navigator as he can reach his goal.

The staff map could be fully interpreted only by the one who has made ​​it or had been trained in it.

They show smaller and bent bars the currents around the islands, distracted from the islands undulations, Kabbelungen, ie the direction of travel to the marked with the shells Islands by the meeting of swells caused rough seas and areas with longer rods.

The staff map underlying knowledge of Polynesian Navigation are now largely lost. Today, military maps are made only for sale to tourists.

Variants

Military maps were mainly to be found in the Marshall Islands in Micronesia.

There were between three types of stick charts: