The Map's Journey

Maps guide us on all of our journeys, but from the time they were invented to the present, they have accomplished a huge journey of their own. Maps have been around for centuries and overtime they have evolved from inaccurate lines drawn in the dirt to precise computer images that update themselves automatically. The past of mapmaking is filled with false ideas and nonscientific approaches. Now, cartography is progressing closer and closer to being one hundred percent accurate. Despite the large gap of time, there are many similarities between modern mapmaking and the maps of the past.

In the past, maps showed what people new, what they didn't know, and what they imagined. Without complex tools, complex maps could not be made correctly so the early maps were made out of primitive mediums (dirt, sticks, shells...etc.) and were quite simple. Romans were the first to use road maps. They used symbols and markings to identify places and landmarks, just as we do today, but the maps were not accurate. Ptolemy was the first person to apply science to cartography. He noticed the importance of using coordinates, scales, and perspective to get an accurate map. Unfortunately, his ideas, although they are in use today, were stifled by the Dark Ages in Europe. For many years, maps disregarded scientific reason and were used to represent theology instead of accurate directions. Hundreds of years later, Ptolemy's ideas resurfaces and cartography began to evolve.
Unlike the tools in the past, modern technology allows maps to be made accurately. Unfortunately, even with advanced technology, we still are not able to make absolutely precise maps. The world is a sphere, therefore it is nearly impossible to make an undistorted and simple map projection. In order to make an absolutely accurate map, it would have to be a 1:1 scale, which would defeat the whole purpose of having a map in the first place. Radar now allows cartographers to map the unseen and unknown-places like distant planets that we have never set foot on. In the present, maps not only provide direction to us, but they help us learn about distant worlds and reduce crime.

Although maps have evolved since they were first created, they are still a form of widely-used communication that has been around for hundreds of thousands of years. In the past, maps were made of any material available while they now can be on paper or digital. Modern technology has made it possible to create accurate maps that, compared to early maps, are detailed and complex. Also, science has now grasped the world of cartography, while in the past, theology and other beliefs had greatly influenced map making. Maps have evolved from lines in dirt to inaccurate works of art to computerized masterpieces made by machines. Yet, they still serve the same purpose of getting you from point A to point B.

Maps have been around for centuries and in that time they have progressed from primitive sketches to advanced technology. Although early maps were not the most scientific, they still helped people get from one place to another. Now, not only can we map the Earth, but we can also map places we have never even set foot on. Despite a huge gap of time, there are many similarities between the maps of the past and those made now. The map has been on a large journey, but it is still progressing to the point of perfection and it's journey will continue on as long as technology moves forward.