A particularly interesting map, this is Karl von Spruner’s 1865 rendering of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasus" class="extiw" title="en:Caucasus">Caucasus</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesopotamia" class="extiw" title="en:Mesopotamia">Mesopotamia</a> in antiquity.  Centered on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Van" class="extiw" title="en:Lake Van">Lake Van</a> (modern day eastern <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey" class="extiw" title="en:Turkey">Turkey</a>), this map covers the Caucasus region between the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea" class="extiw" title="en:Black Sea">Black Sea</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Sea" class="extiw" title="en:Caspian Sea">Caspian Sea</a>, then southwards to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertile_Crescent" class="extiw" title="en:Fertile Crescent">Fertile Crescent</a> as far as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphrates" class="extiw" title="en:Euphrates">Euphrates River</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonia" class="extiw" title="en:Babylonia">Babylonia</a>, and the head of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulf" class="extiw" title="en:Persian Gulf">Persian Gulf</a>.  These regions include the modern day countries of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq" class="extiw" title="en:Iraq">Iraq</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenia" class="extiw" title="en:Armenia">Armenia</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia" class="extiw" title="en:Georgia">Georgia</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan" class="extiw" title="en:Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a>, and adjacent parts of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria" class="extiw" title="en:Syria">Syria</a>, Turkey, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran" class="extiw" title="en:Iran">Iran</a>, and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Caucasian_Federal_District" class="extiw" title="en:North Caucasian Federal District">North Caucasus</a>.  Like most of Spruner’s work this example overlays ancient <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/political_geography" class="extiw" title="en:political geography">political geographies</a> on relatively contemporary <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/physical_geography" class="extiw" title="en:physical geography">physical geographies</a>, thus identifying the sites of forgotten towns and villages, the movements of armies, and the disposition of lands in the region.  This particular example includes ancient names for many notable regions and historical sites.  As a whole the map labels important cities, rivers, mountain ranges and other minor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/topography" class="extiw" title="en:topography">topographical</a> detail.  Territories and countries outlined in color. The whole is rendered in finely <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/engraving" class="extiw" title="en:engraving">engraved</a> detail exhibiting the fine craftsmanship for which the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justus_Perthes" class="extiw" title="en:Justus Perthes">Perthes</a> firm is known.
<bdi><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Karl_Spruner_von_Merz" class="extiw" title="w:en:Karl Spruner von Merz"><span title="German cartographer (1803-1892)">Karl Spruner von Merz</span></a>
</bdi>
1865 (undated)
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