The British Museum houses a vast collection of artefacts from around the world, including remnants from ancient civilisations. In a recent video posted on YouTube, the museum unveiled one such amazing piece of history—“the oldest map of the world in the world.” Explained by philologist, assyriologist, and curator in the museum's Middle East department, Irving Finkel, the video takes viewers on an incredible journey.
“The Babylonian map of the world is the oldest map of the world, in the world. Written and inscribed on clay in Mesopotamia around 2,900-years-ago, it is, like so many cuneiform tablets, incomplete. However, Irving Finkel and a particularly gifted student of his - Edith Horsley - managed to locate a missing piece of the map, slot it back into the cuneiform tablet, and from there set us all on journey through the somewhat mythical landscape of Mesopotamia to find the final resting place of the ark. And yes we mean that ark, as in Noah's ark. Although in the earlier Mesopotamian version of the flood story, the ark is built by Ziusudra,” reads the caption posted along with the video.
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In the video, Finkel uses a replica of the original map. He explains why the map is made of clay. As the video progresses, he divulges deep into the map's details and what it shows.
Take a look at the video here:
{{/usCountry}}In the video, Finkel uses a replica of the original map. He explains why the map is made of clay. As the video progresses, he divulges deep into the map's details and what it shows.
Take a look at the video here:
{{/usCountry}}With nearly 1.4 lakh views, the video has prompted people to post various reactions. While some expressed surprise at the map, others couldn’t hold back and shared how much they loved listening to the host. A few also took the route of hilarity while reacting.
How did YouTube users react to this video by the British Museum?
“I really wanted him to bite it like a cookie,” joked one person. “Wow, I love this,” commented another.
A third expressed, “This is one of the best videos I've ever seen on YouTube. Finkel's storytelling ability is unparalleled. And the production team did a superb job adding to the magic with the graphics.”
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A fourth wrote, “Mr Finkle has the magical ability to simultaneously talk about something in a comfy, cosy manner while also 100% getting across this genuine enthusiasm that makes you care about whatever he's talking about. It's really quite fun to listen to these videos of yours, Irving! I love learning about these things in your 'Curator's Corner'—whenever I see a new video show up in my sub feed, I always make sure to click!”
What are your thoughts on this video about the “oldest map of the world in the world”? Did the video leave you fascinated?