Why didn't people explore more before the "Age of Discovery?"
It was known since ancient times that the Earth is a ball and its approximate size, so they must have known they only knew a small portion of the world. Didn't they wonder what was beyond the edges of the their maps? Did it just not occur to ancient kings or whatever to send a group of guys out to find out "what's over that way?" Is that really such a modern idea? Or did that actually happen, and they just couldn't get very far?
pic very related
>>1235551
No sufficient navy technology.
Prior to the Age Of Discovery there was no ship capable of making trans-oceanic travel. The Portuguese in the 15th century did, it's called the caraval. Also, there wasn't a motive to travel because everyone was contfortable with what they had. The reason why Europeans went out beyond the sea was because the Ottomans controlled the med and had the Indian ocean, forcing Euros to look elsewhere.
>>1235551
Didn't really have the funds. Also, centralization of power was kinda essential for exploration, which happened (not a coincidence) around the same time as the age of exp. Just remember that Columbus's voyage was funded by Ferdinand and Isabella who had just united spain.
Also, complacency as >>1235571 said
>>1235551
People knew the circumference of the earth and weren't aware of the Americas so were completely justified in thinking the oceanic distance between Europe and East Asia was too much to sail without running out of supplies
Polynesians did.
>>1235551
seemingly endless ocean one way
barbarians who will kill you for your horse the other
>>1235593
>Polynesians did.
Good point.
