11 maps that changed our worldview

From ancient Greece to Silicon Valley, we look at the maps that changed our worldview There are few things that evoke the romanticism of adventure quite like a map – especially old maps. Full of exotic names (Persia, Abyssinia, Rhodesia!) and olde worlde lettering, they are reminiscent of a time when men and women sacrificed their lives for adventure and exploration. Maps ignite hopes and inspire dreams. They encourage one to sail away from the safe harbour and, in the words of Mark Twain, to explore, to dream, to discover. Maps that changed our worldview In ode of this great instrument of adventure, we run through 11 maps that changed our world view starting where else but Greece? 1. Anaximander world map, 6th Century BC First up on our list of maps that changed our worldview is the Anaximander world map. A modern rendering of the Anaximander map Anaximander was a Greek philosopher who lived in the 6th Century BC and was arguably the founder of cartography. His map was probably the first in the “known” world. Anaximander’s world was very different to ours: it included only the Mediterranean Sea and three major landmasses: Europe, Asia and Libya, which represents modern-day North A...