Image 108 of Theatrum orbis terrarum. https://www.loc.gov/item/98687183/
Sea Monsters inspired Cynthia Smith to learn more about antique maps years before she joined the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division staff. Check out her recent blog post: Ortelius: A Legendary Mapmaker. https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/2020/04/ortelius-a-legendary-mapmaker/
Abraham Ortelius first published the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum or Theatre of the World in 1570. Many editions followed and the Library of Congress holds copies from 1570-1612 in their collections.
Like the author, perhaps you and your students will be intrigued by far away places and the sea creatures, monsters and other drawings that accompany the maps.
Pre K - 2 3 - 5 6 - 8 9 - 12 13+ Art/Music Social Studies/History maps
These maps are truly works of art! As you pointed out, they are also filled with amazing and beautiful details, all of which could lead a curious student on a path to new learning. I followed a couple of leads, too, and was startled to learn more than I had anticipated from a search on "burying the dead in trees." It's apparently a thing. "The biodegradable burial pod that turns your body into a tree. Capsula Mundi is an egg-shaped pod through which a buried corpse or ashes can provide nutrients to a tree planted above it."
I, too, enjoyed the blog post by Cynthia Smith. Thanks for the recommendation Sherrie Galloway !