Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A group of engravings discovered in a cave in France during the 1950s have recently got attention from a team of geoscientists who think something hugely significant has been overlooked. After analysing other engravings, as well as natural features in the cave, they think that what we might be looking at is the earliest known example of a 3D map. In this week's ancient history news I discuss this research as well as ongoing excavations at the Mesopotamian site of Kurd Qaburstan in Iraq and the discovery of a 7,000-year-old Neolithic settlement in France.
#ancienthistory #archaeology #paleolithic
✨ IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 Introduction
01:03 Possibly the earliest known 3D map found in France
04:01 Site in Iraq may have been the ancient city of Qabra
07:25 Neolithic settlement belonging to the Cardial culture discovered in France
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youtube.com/channel/UC0Hs5t0U6Uf993Tba22YmKA/join
✨ SUPPORT VIA PATREON
patreon.com/MegalithHunter
✨ FOLLOW ME ON SOCIALS
BlueSky: @MegalithHunter.bsky.social
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✨ REFERENCES
Cassella, C. (2025). ‘Earliest Known 3D Map Found in Prehistoric French Cavern, Say Experts,’ Sciencealert, 8 January. sciencealert.com/earliest-known-3d-map-found-in-prehistoric-french-cavern-say-experts
Thiry, M. and Milnes, A., 2024. PALAEOLITHIC MAP ENGRAVED FOR STAGING WATER FLOWS IN A PARIS BASIN SHELTER. Oxford Journal of Archaeology.
University of Central Florida. (2025). ‘Lost Civilization Unveiled: Middle Bronze Age Tablets Reveal Hidden Mesopotamian History,’ SciTechDaily, 20 January. scitechdaily.com/lost-civilization-unveiled-middle-bronze-age-tablets-reveal-hidden-mesopotamian-history
Radley, D. (2025). ‘Archaeologists discover France’s oldest Neolithic settlement on the French Riviera,’ Archaeology News, 18 January. archaeologymag.com/2025/01/frances-oldest-neolithic-settlement
✨ PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS
CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Stele of Dadusha, credit: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP (Glasg)
CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
Cardial culture map, credit: Joostik
Other
Images related to the 3D map, credit: Thiry, M., and Milnes, A., in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology as referenced above.
Images related to Kurd Qaburstan, credit: University of Central Florida.
Images related to the Neolithic settlement in France, credit: Sylvain Barbier, INRAP.
A group of engravings discovered in a cave in France during the 1950s have recently got attention from a team of geoscientists who think something hugely significant has been overlooked. After analysing other engravings, as well as natural features in the cave, they think that what we might be looking at is the earliest known example of a 3D map. In this week's ancient history news I discuss this research as well as ongoing excavations at the Mesopotamian site of Kurd Qaburstan in Iraq and the discovery of a 7,000-year-old Neolithic settlement in France.
#ancienthistory #archaeology #paleolithic
✨ IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 Introduction
01:03 Possibly the earliest known 3D map found in France
04:01 Site in Iraq may have been the ancient city of Qabra
07:25 Neolithic settlement belonging to the Cardial culture discovered in France
✨ JOIN MY CHANNEL
youtube.com/channel/UC0Hs5t0U6Uf993Tba22YmKA/join
✨ SUPPORT VIA PATREON
patreon.com/MegalithHunter
✨ FOLLOW ME ON SOCIALS
BlueSky: @MegalithHunter.bsky.social
X: @Megalith_Hunter
✨ REFERENCES
Cassella, C. (2025). ‘Earliest Known 3D Map Found in Prehistoric French Cavern, Say Experts,’ Sciencealert, 8 January. sciencealert.com/earliest-known-3d-map-found-in-prehistoric-french-cavern-say-experts
Thiry, M. and Milnes, A., 2024. PALAEOLITHIC MAP ENGRAVED FOR STAGING WATER FLOWS IN A PARIS BASIN SHELTER. Oxford Journal of Archaeology.
University of Central Florida. (2025). ‘Lost Civilization Unveiled: Middle Bronze Age Tablets Reveal Hidden Mesopotamian History,’ SciTechDaily, 20 January. scitechdaily.com/lost-civilization-unveiled-middle-bronze-age-tablets-reveal-hidden-mesopotamian-history
Radley, D. (2025). ‘Archaeologists discover France’s oldest Neolithic settlement on the French Riviera,’ Archaeology News, 18 January. archaeologymag.com/2025/01/frances-oldest-neolithic-settlement
✨ PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS
CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Stele of Dadusha, credit: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP (Glasg)
CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
Cardial culture map, credit: Joostik
Other
Images related to the 3D map, credit: Thiry, M., and Milnes, A., in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology as referenced above.
Images related to Kurd Qaburstan, credit: University of Central Florida.
Images related to the Neolithic settlement in France, credit: Sylvain Barbier, INRAP.
