Cartography Timeline

  • 6700 BCE

    Map of Catal Huyuk

    Map of Catal Huyuk
    A wall painting of a settlement of Catal Huyuk, Ankara, Turkey. It is believed as the early map of a settlement, showing 80 buildings and a local mountain.
  • 3000 BCE

    Babylonian clay tablets

    Babylonian clay tablets
    Clay tablets that would fit in the palm of a hand. One map shows an area of Nippur or Iraq in the present day consisting of rivers and hills.
    The tablets indicate north, west and east.
  • 600 BCE

    Map of Babylonian Empire

    Map of Babylonian Empire
    The map consists of drawing and text that shows areas of Babylonian empire.
  • 600 BCE

    Pythagoras determines earth is a sphere

    Pythagoras determines earth is a sphere
    in the Greek civilization cartography had some advantage events of developing.
  • 200 BCE

    Earth circumference determined and coordinate grid established

    Earth circumference determined and coordinate grid established
    In Greek civilization, a Greek astronomer, Eratosthenes determined the earth circumference and also made a map that use the incorporating the parallels and meridians.
  • 150 BCE

    Early system of latitude based on the sun

    Early system of latitude based on the sun
    In Greek Civilization, Hipparchus a Greek astronomer continued Eratosthenes work by describing 11 east-west parallel lines of earth that we know as latitude today.
  • 150

    World map with coordinates for 8.000 locations

    World map with coordinates for 8.000 locations
    Claudius Ptolemy written 8-volume set of books including 8.000 locations of the world.
  • 476

    Scientific Cartography halts in Europe

    Because the Roman Empire collapsed the cartography had no progress until the 14th Century.
  • Feb 26, 830

    Al-Khwarizmi produces world map

    Al-Khwarizmi produces world map
    An Arabic world, a mathematician Al-Khwarizmi continued the Ptolemy's work of map by producing an accurately map of Middle East that is the area between southwest Asia and northeast Africa.
  • Feb 26, 1030

    Al-Biruni develops triangulation

    Al-Biruni develops triangulation
    Al-Biruni a mathematician and astronomer used geometry to determine distance to a location, that is called triangular technique.
  • Feb 26, 1375

    Abraham Cresques produces Catalan Atlas

    Abraham Cresques produces Catalan Atlas
    Abraham Cresques marked the beginning of Cartography progress in Europe. He made a world map by using the accumulated knowledge of cartography and portolan maps - maps with sailing directions-.
  • Feb 26, 1569

    Gerardus Mercator publishes first projection for navigation

    Gerardus Mercator publishes first projection for navigation
    Gerardus Mercator, made the world map that show how to portray the earth on a flat map to be used as a navigation.
  • Sextant developed

    Sextant developed
    Sextant is a portable instrument for determining latitude to be used in navigation.
  • Clocks for determining longitude at sea

    Clocks for determining longitude at sea
    John Harrison developed accurate clock for determining longitude at sea.
  • GPS system

    GPS system
    in late 1990s when satellites launched to develop the accurate information system, Global Positioning System was created to determine the accurate location on earth, showing maps and navigation.