Innovation No. 26 of 77 in the book
The First Geological Map
The Turin Papyrus Map, charting gold-bearing quartz and greywacke quarries in the Eastern Desert
- When
- c. 1150 BCE
- Dynasty
- 20th Dynasty
- Era
- New Kingdom
The oldest surviving geological map in the world is Egyptian: the Turin Papyrus Map, drawn around 1150 BCE for a mining expedition under Ramesses IV.
It charts a stretch of the Eastern Desert with real precision — marking the roads, the hills, a gold-mining settlement, and different rock types in different colors.
It even distinguishes gold-bearing quartz from the surrounding stone. This isn’t decoration; it’s a working survey map, made to find and move valuable rock.
Geology’s first map was folded into a pharaoh’s mining kit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the earliest archaeological evidence for the first geological map in ancient Egypt?
The earliest confirmed evidence dates to approximately 1150 BCE during Egypt's New Kingdom (20th Dynasty). The oldest surviving geological map in the world is Egyptian: the Turin Papyrus Map, drawn around 1150 BCE for a mining expedition under Ramesses IV.
How did ancient Egyptians develop the first geological map, and what is its legacy?
It charts a stretch of the Eastern Desert with real precision — marking the roads, the hills, a gold-mining settlement, and different rock types in different colors. It charts a stretch of the Eastern Desert with real precision — marking the roads, the hills, a gold-mining settlement, and different rock types in different colors. Geology’s first map was folded into a pharaoh’s mining kit.