World’s oldest map dating back 3,000 years reveals details beyond Babylonian Empire

A 3,000-year-old Babylonian clay tablet, believed to be the world's oldest map, has been decoded by researchers. The circular map depicts Mesopotamia as the center of the known world, surrounded by a "Bitter River" marking ancient borders. It includes mythical creatures like Anzu and references to Marduk, the God of Creation. The map provides unique insights into ancient Babylonian beliefs and understanding of the world, showing Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) as the entire known world at that time. Dr. Irving Finkel from the British Museum describes it as encapsulating "the whole of the known world in which people lived, flourished and died."