Development of Geographical Knowledge and Concept: Ancient Age The development of geographical knowledge and concepts in the ancient age was a gradual process that evolved over several civilizations and cultures. Although ancient civilizations did not have access to the advanced technology and tools we have today, they made significant contributions to our understanding of the world around them. Here are some key aspects of geographical knowledge and concepts in the ancient age: Early Mapping: Ancient civilizations developed rudimentary maps to represent their surroundings. These early maps were often based on a combination of direct observation, oral tradition, and mythological beliefs. The Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans were among the civilizations that created maps using simple representations of landforms, rivers, and other geographic features. Exploration and Trade: Ancient civilizations were engaged in trade and exploration, which expanded their knowledge of distant lands. Phoenicians, for example, were skilled sailors who explored and established trading routes across the Mediterranean Sea. Their travels and interactions with other cultures contributed to the exchange of geographical information. Earth's Shape and Size: Ancient Greek philosophers made significant strides in understanding the shape and size of the Earth. Pythagoras (6th century BCE) proposed a spherical Earth, while later scholars like Eratosthenes (3rd century BCE) accurately calculated the Earth's circumference. Natural Phenomena: Ancient civilizations sought to explain natural phenomena and observed patterns in the environment. The Egyptians, for instance, developed a flood prediction system for the Nile River based on their observations of annual floods. The Greeks studied the movement of celestial bodies and developed theories about the Earth's relationship with the sun, moon, and stars. Environmental Determinism: Many ancient societies believed that physical geography influenced human behavior and the development of civilizations. For example, the ancient Chinese concept of Feng Shui emphasized the harmonious relationship between humans and their environment, while Greek philosophers like Hippocrates proposed that climate and geography influenced the temperament and characteristics of different peoples. Geographical Writings: Various ancient texts and manuscripts contained geographical knowledge and descriptions of the known world. Notable examples include the writings of Herodotus (Greek historian, 5th century BCE), Strabo (Greek geographer, 1st century BCE), and Ptolemy (Greco-Roman mathematician and geographer, 2nd century CE). These works provided valuable insights into the geography, topography, and customs of different regions. Land Surveying: Ancient civilizations developed techniques for land surveying, primarily for agricultural purposes. The Egyptians used surveying techniques to demarcate boundaries and measure fields.

1. Hello Geographers!
Welcome to the
Presentation
GES 10th

2. Development of
Geographical Knowledge
and Concept: Ancient Age

3. Team A
Team Leader: Ashanur Rahman
ID:1811060
Session: 2018-19
Dept. of Geography & Environmental
Science
Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur
Submitted By Submitted To
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4. Our team
Amartya Anu Neshe Mony
Aklima Akter Sanzida Akther
Mahim Hasan Jannatul Ferdoush

5. Our team
Arif Foysal Sabiha Farjana
Asma Israt Haimonti Rani
Ashanur Rahman

6. Contents of this Presentation

7. Aim and Objective
To explore and emerge the concepts and ideas
during the ancient age
To examine the impact of ancient geographical
knowledge and concepts on other fields
To provide an understanding of influencing the
modern geography
To introduce the concept and its importance
To describe the key civilizations
01

8. Methods
02
Secondary
Data

9. Introduction
03
FRAMEWORK

10. Approaches to Study
Historical Approach
Geographical Approach
Paradigmatic Approach

11. Pre-Existing
Ancient(Greeks & Romans)
Medieval(Middle ages)
Age of Discovery
Pre-Modern
Classical
Modern
Post-Modern
Development of Geographical Knowledge and
Concepts of Different Ages

12. Pre-Greco-Roman
History
04

13. • Mesopotamians
• Phoenicians
• Egyptians
• Summerians
• Chaldeans
• Babylonians
• Assiriyans
Pre-Greco-Roman History

14. Mesopotamians
05

15. Location: On the banks of the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers in what is today Iraq and Kuwait.
Wheel Agriculture
Cuneiform
Writing

16. Equal Rights
The legal right to be treated equally,
whatever age, sex, race, etc.
Mesopotamian Women’s Role
• Housekeeper
• Priestesses
• Administrator
• Business and traders
• Prostitution
• Slave

17. Irrigation System
The Hanging Garden

18. ZIGGURAT
SEXAGESIMAL METHOD

19. Phoenicians
06

20. Topic: Phoenicians Alphabet & Navigator
Phoenicians: Phoenicians were the most renowned civilization of ancient times.
Present Location: Ancient region along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean that corresponds to modern Lebanon
with adjoining parts of Syria & Israel.
Figure: Phoenicians Civilization (1500-300 B.C.)
Major City states:
• Tyre
• Sidon
• Byblos
• Arwad
Founded: 1500 B.C.
Government: Monarchy
Famous For: Alphabets, Navigations,
trading & City-States

21. Phoenicians Alphabet
Alphabets were initially created by Phoenicians.
• The Phoenician Alphabet is an alphabet known in modern times, from the Canaanite
and Aramaic inscriptions found across the Mediterranean region
Figure: Alphabet origin
from
Kipling to Sinai
Figure: Ancient Alphabet Phoenicians Language: Phoenician,
Punic, Ammonite, Moabite and old Arabic.
Phoenician Alphabet developed to the English Alphabet
Alphabet Direction: Right to Left script
Letter Number: 22 Letters all are consonant.
21

22. Phoenicians Navigator
• As they were situated on the coast of Mediterranean so they were great Navigator
The Phoenicians used natural
features for navigation as; coastlines,
the stars and dead reckoning to guide
their way & reach their destination
Fig: Example of Phoenicians
Navigator.
Methods: Coast hopping, open
sea sailing
Phoenicians ships were so
advanced that both Persians and
Assyrians used their ships to sail
Figure: World wide Navigation
There 3 things for
Phoenicians are known for:
1. Wood
2. Ivory
3. Metal working
They were some of the first to use
stars to navigate
Figure: Phoenicians city-state stands with both coast line and land
22

23. Purple Dye
Purple Dye
Ships Merchant Ships War Ships Crafts
Phoenician Ship Making

25. Egyptians
07

26. Step Pyramid
of Djoser
Papyrus
Sheets

27. THE OX-DOWN PLOW
THE SICKLE
BLACK AND RED INK

28. Egyptian
Irrigation
Shadoof

29. Egyptians Mathematics
01
02
03
04

30. Ancient
Egyptian Astronomy

31. Summerians
08

32. Summerians
Geographical
Range
Mesopotamia, Near
East, Middle East
Period Late Neolithic, Middle
Bronze Age
Dates c. 4500 – c. 1900 BC

33. Contribution and Inventions:
 Map Making
 Wagon Wheel
 Plow
 Sailboat
 Number System Based on 60
 Geometry
 12-Month Calendar

34. Chaldeans
09

35. Location: Central Iran, Iraq, Syria, and
Turkey Modern-day Southern Iraq
Contributions:
 First to make astrological studies
 Compiled the first star lists
 Invented the 24-hour day, 60-minute
hour, and 60-second minute.
 Divided the circle into 360 degrees

36. Assiriyans
10

37. ●
●
●

38. Babylonians
11

39. BABYLONIYAS TIMELINE:
 19th- 16th centuries B.C
 16th- 11th centuries B.C
 11th-7th centuries B.C
 7th-6th centuries B.C
 To the 7th county A.D

40. The Babylonian Map of the World
 Babylon first rose to prominence in the late Bronze Age, around the beginning of the
second millennium B.C. when it was occupied by people known as the Amorites.
 A series of strong Amorte kings — including King Hammurabi, famous for compiling the
world's first legal code.
 Babylonian reasoning and rationality developed beyond empirical observation and had an
influence on Greek philosophy.

41. Critical Analysis
12

42. Strengths:
 1. Contextualizing human history:
 2. Insights into settlement patterns:
 3. Environmental determinism:
Implications and Future Directions:
 Informing contemporary geography:
 Interdisciplinary collaboration:
 Incorporating technological advancements

43. Limitations and Methodological Challenges:
Impedes detailed data capture, hindering understanding of
dynamic processes and temporal patterns
Interpretation's subjectivity shapes diverse understandings,
influenced by perspectives, biases, and cultural backgrounds,
impacting data analysis.
Research and decision-making face challenges due to
incomplete data, proxies, and biases, necessitating careful
interpretation and validation

44. References
13

45. 45
1. Aprilholloway, Aprilholloway, & Aprilholloway. (2020). More than fifty ancient Greek inventions brought to life
through incredible reconstructions. Ancient Origins Reconstructing the Story of Humanity’s Past.
https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-general/more-fifty-ancient-greek-inventions-brought-life-through-incredible-
reconstructions
2. Mlblevins. (2015). Environmental Possibilism Vs. Environmental Determinism. Science Struck.
https://sciencestruck.com/environmental-possibilism-vs-environmental-determinism.
3. Zhou, J., & Gu, Y. (2016). Geometallurgical Characterization and Automated Mineralogy of Gold Ores. In Elsevier
eBooks (pp. 95–111). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-444-63658-4.00006-2
4. Himelfarb, Elizabeth J. "First Alphabet Found in Egypt", Archaeology 53, Issue 1 (January/February 2000): 21.
5. Fischer, Steven Roger (2004). A history of writing. Reaktion Books. p. 90.
6. Cross, Frank Moore (1980). "Newly Found Inscriptions in Old Canaanite and Early Phoenician Scripts". Bulletin of
the American Schools of Oriental Research. The University of Chicago Press on behalf of The American Schools of
Oriental Research. 238 (238 (Spring, 1980)): 1–20. doi:10.2307/1356511. JSTOR 1356511. S2CID 222445150.
7. Deibert, B. (2018). Who are the Assyrians? 10 Things to Know about their History & Faith. Christianity.com.
https://www.christianity.com/church/denominations/discover-the-assyrians-10-things-to-know-about-their-history-
faith.html

46. 46
8. Frye, R. N., Edzard, D. O., & Von Soden, W. T. (2023, April 1). History of Mesopotamia | Definition, Civilization,
Summary, Agriculture, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Mesopotamia-historical-
region-Asia
9. Mesopotamia. (n.d.). https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/resource-library-
mesopotamia/#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20historic%20region,with%20influencing%20mathematics%20and%20astrono
my.
10. Mesopotamia Geography. (n.d.). HISTORY’S HISTORIES
You Are History. We Are the Future. http://www.historyshistories.com/mesopotamia-geography.html
11. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023, April 14). Babylonia | History, Map, Culture, & Facts.
Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Babylonia
12. TheGeoecologist. (2020, July 26). CONTRIBUTION OF PRE-GREEK AND ROMAN SCHOLARS |
GEOGRAPHICAL THOUGHT | By Dr.Krishnanand [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFNKLHnf-3s
13. Wikipedia contributors. (2023). History of geography. Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_geography

47. Thank You


48. Does anyone have any
questions?