The oldest 3D map in the world

French scientists have discovered a unique engraving in the Ségognole Cave, located in a famous sandstone massif south of Paris, dating back to the Upper Paleolithic era, the oldest three-dimensional map ever found, according to the website "labrujulaverde".

The research, published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology, reveals how hunter-gatherers more than 20,000 years ago shaped and adapted the cave environment to represent the flow of water, and possibly the landscape around them.

The Ségognole site is unique in its combination of pictorial rock art and architectural interventions in stone. These modifications served not only a practical purpose by controlling water seepage, but could also have served symbolic or ritual purposes.

The most intriguing hypothesis is that the set of engravings on the cave floor constitute a miniature representation of the surrounding landscape, a kind of “microcosm” of the hydrological and geomorphological resources of the region.

The research, by Medard Terry and Anthony Milnes, describes how the shelter was carefully modified by human hands to control the flow of water through a series of channels, basins and depressions. These features, together with the intricate carvings, evoke a representation of the hydrographic system of the area, including rivers, deltas and hills. According to the authors, the shelter carvings may be considered the first known three-dimensional map of an area, marking a departure from other representations of the time that were two-dimensional and portable.

The cave is strategically located above the Ikole River valley, an area where ancient hunters settled, taking advantage of the natural resources. The valley offered abundant hunting opportunities, as the migration routes of large herbivores cross the river at specific points. This context makes the hypothesis that the model carved into the cave could be used to plan hunting strategies or even to educate new members of the community about the key resources of the environment.