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10 Early Maps of the World Before the Age of Discovery
How did humans imagine the universe during the Ancient and Middle Ages?
Have you ever wondered how ancient explorers travelled to a new country? Because of a lack of accurate calculations, understanding of map making, also known as cartography, was at a primitive stage. Humans did not know how vast their planet was. Often, a country’s borders appeared to encompass the entire universe.
As cultures traded knowledge and trade expanded, so did the art and science of mapmaking. On the world map, we identified cultures that had never been encountered before. The equator, tropics, and North and South Poles were all located.
In the 15th century, the age of discovery began. However, prior to the age of discovery, the frontiers of nations and their territories were not properly defined.
Maps began by describing mythical regions, such as the Babylonian World Map, and became increasingly detailed over time, assisting explorers in finding alternative routes. Let us look at ten world maps before the age of discovery, which tell us a story of human exploration.
I took Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the Americas in 1492 as the starting point for the Age of Discovery. Though there had been world journeys prior to 1492, such as Chinese admiral Zheng He’s explorations, Christopher Columbus’ voyage sparked a worldwide interest in discovering new territories.
As a result, using 1492 as a reference point appears to be justified.
Babylonian map of the world (6th century BCE)
The Babylonian world map, which dates from the sixth century BCE, is the oldest found map. The reconstructed map depicts Babylon on the Euphrates River’s banks, surrounded by a circular continent. A “bitter river” or an ocean encircles the kingdoms of Assyria and Urartu (modern Armenia). It depicted the city of Babylon and the Euphrates River as rectangles. You’ll notice circles surrounding the rectangles. These represent the cities of Assyria and Susa.
