Map Makers of the Ancient World

Map Makers of the Ancient World

by poonam bisht



Map Makers of the Ancient World have contributed a great deal to the subject of geography. The geographers of the medieval and modern era are grateful to these people for inventing different ways of map making. Ancient World Map Makers introduced and combined various techniques, which were quite novel at the time. The plates of the maps were still in use till late medieval period.

Some of the famous map makers of the ancient world are Anaximander, Hecataeus, Dicaearchus, Eratosthenes, Hipparchus, Isidore, Al-Idrisi, Eckhard Unger and Ptolemy. These Legendary Map Makers of the World were influenced by each others’ works from time to time and produced great maps, which are invaluable even today. The mapmakers used aesthetics, science, and technical ability to create accurate and understandable representations, which could help students of mapping to peruse the details effectively. They used various symbols and different scales in the maps.




In the earlier times, due to lack of source of information, many places were not included in the maps, which were later corrected by various map makers. Moreover, they had faced problems in compiling the information. However, their efforts proved to be of immense use for the future generations.


For more information you can refer to:

Al-Idrisi

An expert map maker and a famous botanist, Al-Idrisi was born in 1099 at Ceuta of Spain. This Arabian cartographer finished his studies in Cordoba. After completing his academics, he set out…

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Anaximander

Anaximander was one of the pioneer cartographers to create the map of the world. Born in between 611-610 BC, this map maker of ancient world made important contributions to the sciences…

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Dicaearchus

Dicaearchus was the first to introduce reference lines in maps which later led to the genesis of the geographical coordinates. A student and disciple of Aristotle, Dicaearchus contributed immensely in the…

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Eratosthenes

Eratosthenes was one of the leading scholars of his age who had acquired knowledge in several subjects. This distinguished scholar had several accomplishments, in various branches of knowledge, attributed to his…

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Gaius Julius Hyginus

Gaius Julius Hyginus was born in Spain and was a student of Cornelius Alexander Polyhistor. He was an acclaimed Latin writer and cartographer. He was the author of many biographies and…

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Hecataeus

Hecataeus was one of the most popular researchers and geographers who hailed from Greece. Born in 550 BC, this reputed cartographer was known for his map of the inhabited world. Hecataeus…

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Hipparchus

One of the legendary map makers from Greece, Hipparchus was equally brilliant as an astronomer. Although his birth place was Nicea in Bithynia, Hipparchus was brought up in Rhodes. He was born…

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Isidore

Spanish by birth, Isidore hailed from Cartagena. Isidore or Saint Isidore of Seville belonged to an influential family. From a young age he excelled in academics and within a very…

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Liu An

Liu An (179 – 122 BC) was a Chinese Prince of Han Dynasty in China and the renowned inventor of tofu. Liu An was the grandson of the emperor Liu Bang,…

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Marinus

A man of many talents, Marinus was equally competent as a cartographer, geographer and mathematician. Hailing from Tyre, Marinus was one of the earliest Greek cartographers. Considered as the founder of Mathematical…

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