Researchers have finally decoded a Babylonian tablet thought to be the oldest map of the world.
Created between 2,600 and 2,900 years ago, the Imago Mundi provided researchers with a unique glimpse into the beliefs and practices of the ancient civilization.
The Babylonian tablet has a circular map with pieces of text written in cuneiform – an ancient writing system that used wedge-shaped symbols – which describes the early creation of the world.
The map depicted Mesopotamia – or the land ‘between the rivers’ – a historical area of the Middle East that was thought to be the entire ‘known world’ at the time.
The tablet’s map also confirmed their belief in the mighty God of Creation, Marduk, and mythical creatures and monsters like scorpion-man and Anzu – the lion-headed bird.
Hellbound and Down 