This animated GIF shows a progression of 21 maps that depict the “known world” from 2348 B.C. to 1828 A.D. Slate created the GIF based on an 1830 atlas,Historical Atlas in a Series of Maps of the World as Known at Different Periods, with an Historical Narrative by Edward Quin. The atlas is part of the David Rumsey Map Collection.

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roman1GIF via Slate, photo via David Rumsey Map Collection