British Scientists Decipher the Oldest Map of the World: What It Shows.

British Scientists Decipher the Babylonian Cuneiform Tablet Imago Mundi

British scientists have achieved a real milestone by deciphering the Babylonian cuneiform tablet named Imago Mundi, which contains a map of the world. The tablet comprises a circular fragment of the map connected with text fragments that describe the creation of the world. The main feature of this artifact is the depiction of Mesopotamia, which was considered the world at the Time the tablet was created.

The map depicted on the Babylonian tablet has a circular form, and the text is written using cuneiform—a writing system that used wedge-shaped symbols. The text describes the early creation of the world.

Mesopotamia as the Center of the World

In the central lower element of the map is Mesopotamia. Two circles surrounding the central part are the most unique elements of the map. Researchers confirmed that the circle surrounding Mesopotamia on the tablet symbolized the Babylonians' belief that this region was the center of the world, although they understood that Mesopotamia was part of a larger landmass.

The map also contains cuneiform inscriptions indicating the name of the city or tribe that inhabited this region. Among the cities and tribes mentioned in the text are Assyria, Der, and Urartu.

Rare Artifacts in Turkey

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Incidentally, recently in Turkey, archaeologists discovered two extremely rare seals with animal depictions during excavations at the Arslantepe Mound. The age of these artifacts is approximately estimated at 7 thousand years.