http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/18/wmap18.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/18/ixworld.html

 

oldest Western map found so far----500 BC

 

time of Pythagoras, who lived in one of the Greek cities in South Italy not far from where this piece of a map was found.

 

the Heel is a peninsula pointing roughly south, with the Adriatic sea on the eastside of it and the Gulf of Tarento on the west side of it.

 

Greeks colonized much of South Italy and it was called "Magna Graecia" for a while. Any place with a harbor for their ships.

and they were trading all over---selling black-glaze pottery with lines drawn on it (pictures, ornamental designs, writing, and in this case a MAP)

Is that all they left us? A map !

 

What were they doing all that time? Partying with all that Greek wine? Sheeesh.

That's pretty cool. I notice that north is at the top just like with modern day maps, it's interesting something like that has become such a standard.