A so-called meddo (a map showing the location of certain islands and the sea areas between them), sailing map of the Marshall Islands archipelago, date unknown
These so-called "stick chart" consist of thin strips of coconut fruit and midribs or pandanus roots that were bound together with coconut fibres in straight or curved lines to form a frame-like structure. At various points in the frame, small shells were tied together using two or more sticks. The shells and the joints represent the location of the islands, while the sticks represent the currents and swells in the sea. Stick maps are basically rough maps of the ocean. This map was used by the Micronesian settlers in the Marshall Islands, but it was not used by everyone. Only initiates were generally allowed to use them and knowledge was passed down from father to son. When exactly such maps came into use is not known, but the islands were settled around 2000 BC and it is assumed that such charts already existed then.
