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6700 BCE
map of Catal Hyuk
*from a Neolithic site in modern Turkey. It is either a map or a landscape painting. -
3000 BCE
Babylonian clay tablets
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3000 BCE
first map of the moon
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600 BCE
Pythagoras determines earth is a sphere
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600 BCE
map of Babylonian empire
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200 BCE
Eratosthenes determines the circumference of earth
He also establishes the coordinate grid -
150 BCE
Hipparchus creates early system of latitude based on the sun
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150
Ptolemy creates world map
Includes coordinates for 8000 locations! -
476
scientific cartography halts in Europe
Roman Empire collapses -
830
world map produced
Al-Khwarizmi produces a world map based on Ptolemy's work -
1030
Al-Biruni develops triangulation
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1375
Abraham Cresques produces world map using portolan maps
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1569
Gerardus Mercator publishes first projection for navigation
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sextant developed
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longitude able to be calculated at sea
John Harrison develops the chronometer which allows for the determination of longitude while sailing -
Prime Meridian chosen
International Meridian Conference chooses Greenwich as the prime meridian -
GIS/GPS
High quality satellite maps and aerial images lead to development of GIS (geographic information systems) and GPS (global positioning system