oldest maps in the world

06Aug06

All the chatter about oldest writings in the world has got me wondering about oldest maps. After some digging, it seems that there is no consensus. For me, Babylonian clay tablets and Ukrainian vase bottoms aren’t going to cut it as maps. So my vote is on this 6500bc Catalhoyuk mural map, with its smoking volcanos (been dead ages ago) as an imposing  backdrop. There is a nice article discussing its attributes and importance here.

If you insist on printed maps, then the honor goes to the Chinese instead. The Map of the Fifteen Countries dates from 1155, covering central China and named after the 15 small feudal states situated there during the Zhou Dynasty.

I wonder which one is the oldest web map*_^ MapQuest anybody?

Filed under: China, Turkey, cartography, history, map design - print   |  1 Comment