ved ▁map ▁from ▁the ▁K ass ite ▁period ▁( 1 4 th – 1 2 th ▁centuries ▁BC ) ▁of ▁Bab yl onian ▁history ▁shows ▁walls ▁and ▁buildings ▁in ▁the ▁holy ▁city ▁of ▁N ipp ur . ▁ ▁In ▁contrast , ▁the ▁Bab yl onian ▁World ▁Map , ▁the ▁earliest ▁surv iving ▁map ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁( c . ▁ 6 0 0 ▁BC ), ▁is ▁a ▁symbol ic , ▁not ▁a ▁literal ▁representation . ▁It ▁deliber ately ▁om its ▁pe op les ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁and ▁Egypt ians , ▁who ▁were ▁well ▁known ▁to ▁the ▁Bab yl oni ans . ▁The ▁area ▁shown ▁is ▁dep icted ▁as ▁a ▁circular ▁shape ▁surrounded ▁by ▁water , ▁which ▁fits ▁the ▁religious ▁image ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁Bab yl oni ans ▁believed . ▁ ▁Ex amples ▁of ▁maps ▁from ▁ancient ▁Egypt ▁are ▁quite ▁rare . ▁However , ▁those ▁that ▁have ▁surv ived ▁show ▁an ▁emphas is ▁on ▁geometry ▁and ▁well - develop ed ▁surve ying ▁techniques , ▁perhaps ▁stim ulated ▁by ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁re - est ab lish ▁the ▁exact ▁boundaries ▁of ▁properties ▁after ▁the ▁annual ▁N ile ▁flo ods . ▁The ▁Tur in ▁Pap yrus ▁Map , ▁dated ▁c . ▁ 1 1 6 0 ▁BC , ▁shows ▁the ▁mountains ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁N ile ▁where ▁gold ▁and ▁silver ▁were ▁m ined , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁min ers ' ▁sh el ters , ▁well s , ▁and ▁the ▁road ▁network ▁that ▁linked ▁the ▁region ▁with ▁the ▁main