Illustration
Babylonian, about 700-500 BCE
Probably from Sippar, southern Iraq
A unique ancient map of the Mesopotamian world
This tablet contains both a cuneiform inscription and a unique map of the Mesopotamian world. Babylon is shown in the centre (the rectangle in the top half of the circle), and Assyria, Elam and other places are also named. The central area is ringed by a circular waterway labelled 'Salt-Sea'. The outer rim of the sea is surrounded by what were probably originally eight regions, each indicated by a triangle, labelled 'Region' or 'Island', and marked with the distance in between. The cuneiform text describes these regions, and it seems that strange and mythical beasts as well as great heroes lived there, although the text is far from complete.
The regions are shown as triangles since that was how it was visualized that they first would look when approached by water.
The map is sometimes taken as a serious example of ancient geography, but although the places are shown in their approximately correct positions, the real purpose of the map is to explain the Babylonian view of the mythological world.
I.L. Finkel, 'A join to the Map of the World: a notable discovery', British Museum Magazine: the-5 (Winter 1995), pp. 26-27
W. Horowitz, Mesopotamian cosmic geography (Winona Lake, Eisenbrauns, 1998)
I.L. Finkel, Gilgamesh: the hero king (London, The British Museum Press, 1998)
Related Images
Map of the World from Sippar, Mesopotamia
Cruciform with Cuneiform from Sippar
The Sun God Tablet or the Tablet of Shamash from Sippar
Map of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East, c. 1300 BCE
Cuneiform Tablet Listing the Names of Old Babylonian Kings
Detail of the Sun God Tablet from Sippar
Cite This Work
APA Style
Museum, T. o. t. B. (2012, April 26). Babylonian Map of the World. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/526/babylonian-map-of-the-world/
Chicago Style
Museum, Trustees of the British. "Babylonian Map of the World." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 26, 2012. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/526/babylonian-map-of-the-world/.
MLA Style
Museum, Trustees of the British. "Babylonian Map of the World." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 26 Apr 2012. Web. 21 Oct 2024.
