Who came up with maps?

China, with its long history and rich culture, also played a pivotal role in the development of map-making. Early Chinese maps, often found on silk or bamboo, depicted a vast and complex world filled with mountains, rivers, and cities. These maps were not only used for navigation but also reflected the Chinese people's deep connection to their land and its natural features.

Among the earliest surviving examples of map-making, we find cave paintings and intricate etchings on materials such as tusk and stone. These primitive maps, though rudimentary, demonstrate humanity's early fascination with representing and navigating the world around them.

Ancient Babylonian society was renowned for its advancements in various fields, including astronomy and mathematics, which were instrumental in the development of early cartography. Their maps, often used for administrative purposes, reflected their sophisticated understanding of geography and surveying techniques.

Greece, too, contributed significantly to the evolution of map-making. The Greeks were renowned for their philosophical inquiries into the nature of the universe and their desire to understand and represent the world through art and science. Their maps, while often stylized and idealized, reflected their intellectual curiosity and sense of wonder.

The origins of map-making remain shrouded in mystery, with little consensus on when and how the earliest maps came into existence. Nevertheless, it is widely believed that numerous cultures independently developed the art of depicting local terrain on maps.