Mawangdui silk maps
Mapas de seda de Mawangdui
- Date
- 168 BCE · confidence high
- Place
- Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Credited to
- Cartographers of the Kingdom of Changsha (Han dynasty)
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
What it is
Three silk maps found in a tomb: a topographic map of southern Changsha, a military map with garrisons and a town plan. They show rivers, mountains, settlements and roads with remarkable accuracy and a symbol system.
They were found in 1973 in Tomb 3 at Mawangdui, sealed in 168 BC. Their accuracy is notable, but their purpose (the war against Nanyue) and scale remain open questions.
What it led to
- military and administrative cartography of Han China
- a forerunner of Pei Xiu's principles and of Chinese grid mapping