The evolution of cartography

Babylonian map - 6th Century BC
(click any image to enlarge)

Amusing Plant has a good post, Coming of Age in Cartography: Evolution of the World Map, that discusses the advances in cartogrpahy from the ancient world to the present. These maps are from that post, which has more, as well a a good discussion of the various advances made.

The maps are Eurocentric, and it is interesting to see the distortions at the margins as the cartographers struggled to map distant lands.

2nd Century BC

1st Century AD

12th Century AD

16th Century AD

16th Century AD

17th Century AD