Map making dates
back to ancient Babylonia where the earliest map is an illustration of their known world on a piece of clay tablet. The science of cartography advanced during the Greek era. Even during the time of Greek librarian
Erasthothenes (276-196 B.C.), the Greeks knew that the earth was round. Erasthothenes even made an accurate calculation on the circumference of the earth which only fell short of about 50 miles.
During the age of exploration, when
European countries were expanding their colonies and discovering new worlds, the science of cartography has advanced to a higher level of accuracy. Maps then became tools of navigation.
