Charting the history of maps, from Imago Mundi to Google
Mapping out the development of cartography
© Getty Images
These days, we rarely get lost. All we have to do is program our GPS devices or consult Google Maps. Of course, there's still the good old paper map to fall back on. Five thousand years ago, however, you might have turned to a clay tablet to get your bearings. Later, a papyrus scroll would have done the trick. And by the 16th century, the first world maps had started to appear. Maps have been part of human history for millennia, and the development of cartography, or mapmaking technology, is as fascinating as the many destinations a map assists us in arriving at.
Click through, pore over this gallery, and chart the timeline of maps.
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