Thank you for the message: First response of a few today: Yeah, no. The largest pit ever dug is the Rio Tinto copper mine in Utah. Right at a mile across. If this theory is going by the depth lines on the map and thinking the lakebed is stepped like that, then the theorist needs remedial mapreading classes. The earliest French maps of the Great Lakes date to the 17th century, driven by explorers like Samuel de Champlain, who documented inland water bodies based on Indigenous knowledge. Key early, influential maps include Nicolas Sanson’s 1650 map (first to show all five lakes) and the 1672 Jesuit Relations map, which dramatically improved knowledge of the upper lakes.Key Early French Maps & MapmakersSamuel de Champlain (1632): Provided the first European maps indicating multiple large bodies of water in the interior.Nicolas Sanson d'Abbeville (1650): Created a foundational map that, for the first time, correctly depicted the general layout of all five Great Lakes.Jesuit Relations Map (1672): Titled Lac Superieur et autres lieux ou sont les Missions..., this map, attributed to Fathers Jean Allouez and Claude Dablon, greatly improved the understanding of Lakes Superior and Michigan.Vincenzo Coronelli (c. 1688): Produced detailed maps for Louis XIV based on reports from French explorers and missionaries, offering detailed, albeit stylized, views of the region.18th Century AdvancementsJacques-Nicolas Bellin (1745/1755): His map, Partie Occidentale de la Nouvelle France ou du Canada (1755), is considered one of the most comprehensive and influential 18th-century maps, relying on earlier Jesuit reports and explorer journals like those of Vérendrye.Mythical Geography: Early maps, including those by Bellin, often included fictitious islands in Lake Superior, such as Isle Philippeaux, which persisted for over a century.These maps reflect the reliance of French cartographers on Indigenous, Iroquois, Algonquin, and Ojibwe knowledge to map areas not yet seen by Europeans.Mapping Michigan | Clarke Historical Library* For example, a British map published in 1626 gave no hint of the Great Lakes existence. British maps issued as late as 1701 showed only a single large lake at...Central Michigan UniversityCharting the Great Lakes - Mackinac State Historic ParksNov 2, 2015 — Vincenzo Coronelli derived his cartographic information about this region from the reports of French explorers from the court of King Louis XIV and Jesuit Missi...Mackinac State Historic ParksThe Great Lakes Like You've Never SeenJun 9, 2025 — The Great Lakes region had been mapped, described, and navigated by First Nations peoples for many years before European explorers and colonizers arrived. These...ArcGIS StoryMaps1755 Partie Occidentale de la Nouvelle France ou du Canada...Unit price / per. 17.5 x 22 inches - Original Size. 21 x 26 inches. 24 x 30 inches. 29 x 36 inches. 32 x 40 inches. 17.5 x 22 inches - Original Size. 21 x 26 in...the Vintage Map ShopFile:1755 Bellin Map of the Great Lakes - GeographicusOct 21, 2024 — He also relies on Verendrye's journals with regard to the placement of numerous Indian nations and villages. Charlevoix is generally regarded as Bellin's source...Wikimedia CommonsMapping the French Empire in North America - Newberry LibraryReference: Kaufman. "Lac Superieur et autres lieux ou sont les Missions. . .," map from the Jesuit Relations (1672). The Newberry Library. This map, attributed ...Newberry Library1755 Bellin Map of the Great Lakes - Geographicus Rare Antique Maps1755 Bellin Map of the Great Lakes. This item has been sold, but you can get on the Waitlist to be notified if another example becomes available, or purchase a ...Geographicus Rare Antique Maps