The world’s oldest map was discovered in Brittany (Image: Departmental Archives of Finistère)
The world’s oldest known map, dating back an astonishing 3,600 years, rewrites history and sheds light on ancient territorial practices.
This remarkable find is not just a piece of artwork; it is a three-dimensional depiction of a landscape, offering crucial insights into Bronze Age society.
The map in question is the Saint-Bélec slab, which was unearthed in 1900 by archaeologist Paul du Châtellier in Finistère, Brittany, France.
Du Châtellier kept the slab at his castle, the Château de Kernuz, before it was later put into the collection of the National Archaeological Museum in France.
The slab, made of grey-blue schist, is etched with intricate geometric patterns, thought to represent the River Odet valley, and is now considered the world’s oldest territorial map.
Initially thought to be merely a decorative object, recent research has revealed its true significance as a carefully crafted representation of the land around the River Odet, complete with symbols for settlements, roads, and even ancient burial sites.
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This discovery has sparked a wave of excitement within the archaeological community.
The Saint-Bélec slab, dating from around 1900 BCE to 1640 BCE, provides not just a map, but a glimpse into how the early Bronze Age people of France viewed their land.
It is thought that the map was not used for navigation, but instead served a more symbolic purpose, showcasing the political power and territorial extent of a local ruler.
The slab, now regarded as a “treasure map” of sorts, reveals previously unknown ancient sites, giving modern archaeologists valuable clues about the civilization’s development and organisation.
The slab’s surface is decorated with lines, circles, and squares that represent various features of the landscape, such as settlements and burial mounds.
These motifs are believed to be a reflection of the topography of the River Odet valley, with the lines and shapes mirroring the natural environment.
Further excavations at the site have revealed additional fragments of the map, confirming the theory that the Saint-Bélec slab was a territorial plan, possibly used as a cadastral map to help manage land resources and control the distribution of fertile soil.
The significance of this discovery extends far beyond its artistic and archaeological value.
Experts believe that the map could have served as a symbol of land ownership or a strategic tool for managing the territories of early Bronze Age societies.
It reflects the growing complexity of early human settlements and their increasing reliance on structured land management systems
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It’s now kept in The National Archaeological Museum in France (Image: Getty)
This astonishing relic has now been placed at the forefront of archaeological research, with experts continuing to study its precise origins and the reasons behind its creation.
For history enthusiasts and archaeologists alike, this discovery is nothing short of groundbreaking, allowing us to peer into the distant past and understand the foundations of land management systems that would shape the course of human history for millennia.
Though its roots lie deep in the past, the Saint-Bélec slab serves as a reminder of our enduring relationship with the land, and how ancient cultures sought to understand and control the world around them.