Babylonian Map of the World
The Babylonian map of the World, dating from 600BC, was discovered in Southern Iraq (old day Babylon) in 1899. While older maps have been discovered, they have been small scale, localized ones.
The Babylonian Map of the World is believed to be an attempt to depict the entire world from the point of view of Babylon. It is partially symbolic, intentionally excluded certain nations that were definitely known to the Babylonians, e.g. the Egyptians and Persians.
The first map is significant in media and the earliest know attempt to depict, and therefore to rationalize the idea of the world as a whole, rather than just the region that people inhabited. As a result, it was one of the earliest forms of globalization, and it was this first map’s descendants that would open up the idea of world travel and communication was we now know it.
For a closer look at what was inscribed on the tablet:http://www.henry-davis.com/MAPS/AncientWebPages/103.html
For more information, check out the British Museum's Website: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/m/map_of_the_world.aspx
The Babylonian Map of the World is believed to be an attempt to depict the entire world from the point of view of Babylon. It is partially symbolic, intentionally excluded certain nations that were definitely known to the Babylonians, e.g. the Egyptians and Persians.
The first map is significant in media and the earliest know attempt to depict, and therefore to rationalize the idea of the world as a whole, rather than just the region that people inhabited. As a result, it was one of the earliest forms of globalization, and it was this first map’s descendants that would open up the idea of world travel and communication was we now know it.
For a closer look at what was inscribed on the tablet:http://www.henry-davis.com/MAPS/AncientWebPages/103.html
For more information, check out the British Museum's Website: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/m/map_of_the_world.aspx
