On the origion of mapping

     I must admit that upon starting this project on maps mediating, I was not entirely impressed. I had not yet come to the realization of how interesting maps really are or how they influence how we think. The notion of a 'map' in and of itself is a novel idea and one that parts of the world do not regard as necessary. In the interests of not wasting your precious time rambling about the alterations and complications of maps throughout history, I'll give a brief example.
     In the sixth century BC, the Greeks had developed a greater understanding of geometry (Pythagoras) and come to the conclusion that the earth was spherical rather than flat. This was expounded upon in later centuries by calculating (ridiculously accurately I might add) the circumference of the earth (Eratosthenes) and dividing this circumference into the 360 degrees of a circle - e.g. longitude (Ptolemy - not the Egyptian king though, he was later). In essence, the Greeks asserted map making as a mathematical science rather than a social one. This has profound effects on the world today. For example, the divisions of Africa and East Asia by Europeans were done in a mathematical manner relying on degrees of Latitude and Longitude, rather than taking into account the social realities on the ground. A huge collection of social issues could be discussed as a result of this, but I'll give an example devoid of most of these issues. Take, for example, the country of Egypt. Now, Egypt's western border is a line that is nearly exactly that of 25 degrees east. Most of the population, however, lives within 10 miles of the Nile river (excluding those settlements in on the Sinai) as this is really the only arable land. The rest of Egypt is for all intents and purposes a wasteland that only belongs to Egypt because it is on the Eastern side of 25 degrees East.
     So yes, I have found myself enjoying this topic - rather more than makes me comfortable, actually - and it has opened up for me possibilities for ulterior explanations in other disciplines like history. If you want to learn a bit more about maps, I'd suggest Klinghoffer's The Power of Projections. In it, he describes many of the important changes in map making over the course of human history and how this has impacted and been impacted by global affairs.