Researchers only began to study the rock in 2017.
Brest, France:
A Bronze-age slab first uncovered in 1900 in western France is the oldest map in Europe, according to a study released this week.
The 4,000-year-old object, known as the Saint-Belec slab, is engraved with markings that represent part of the Black Mountains region of western France, said Yvan Pailler, an archaeologist and one of the authors of the study published in the Bulletin of the French Prehistoric Society. Today, it is the oldest map of a territory in Europe, he said. You can see on the slab carvings which, at first sight, are not understandable.
French 4,000-year-old carving is oldest map in Europe: study ctvnews.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ctvnews.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Europe’s ‘OLDEST map’ carved into stone slab 4,000 years ago finally found after being ‘lost to history’
Harry Pettit, Senior Digital Technology and Science Reporter
Apr 7 2021, 5:48 ET
Updated: Apr 7 2021, 6:41 ET
A RECENTLY unearthed stone slab dating back to the Bronze Age may represent Europe s oldest map.
Intricate carvings on the piece of rock, known as the Saint-Bélec Slab, depict an area of western Brittany, France, according to scientists.
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The 2m by 1.5m (6.5ft by 5ft) artefact is believed to date from the early Bronze AgeCredit: Bournemouth university
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The Saint-Bélec Slab is thought to be Europe s oldest mapCredit: Inrap