The History of Maps

Forma Urbis Romae (203-211) - a plan of a Pompeii amphitheater

In Instead of Writing a Thousand Words Lapham's Quarterly takes a detailed look at the history if maps around the world. Using the Esri Story Map format Lapham's Quarterly explores how geographical space has been visualized throughout history, from the earliest known maps painted on the walls of caves right up to maps created in the modern digital age.

The Story Map starts with the Çatalhöyük Wall Painting from 6200 BC. Many people believe that this wall painting in Turkey shows a bird's eye view of a city and is therefore the world's oldest known map. Lapham's Quarterly then takes us on a guided tour through the history of cartography. It reports on the Babylonian Imago Mundi from 700-500 BC which is "considered the oldest known world map". Carrying on through history this Story Map explores maps from ancient Rome, China, Japan and the Arab & Islamic world.

Instead of Writing a Thousand Words features information about some of the world's most famous historic vintage maps, including the Hereford Mappa Mundi and Isidore of Seville’s T & O map. It even takes a look at astrological maps, transport maps and discusses the merits of different map projections.

If you are interested in the history of World Maps then you might like my own Mappae Mundi collection of historical world maps. My map allows you to take a closer look at maps of the world from ancient Greece up to 2015. My map doesn't include much information about the individual maps shown but it does allow you to zoom in and pan around each of the featured maps of the world.