Question

a. maps - their history and importance
a brief history of maps
the earliest map was probably drawn in the dirt by an ab - originee sharing the whereabouts of water. then perhaps came maps of territory - minded peoples in efforts to delin - eate land ownership. then came navigation charts and the geography of trade routes, etc.
fast - forward to the greek herodotus, who might be called the earliest paleogeographer (paleogeography: the charting of ancient lands and seas) because in 450 b.c. he discovered fossil seashells in limestones near cairo (fig. 2.1) and cor - rectly inferred that the mediterranean sea once spread far - ther southward than it does today.
incidentally, herodotus also coined the term delta for that part of the nile valley characterized by the curious branch - ing of the river near its entry into the sea.
q2.1 what do you suppose prompted herodotus to coin the term delta for the area marked by branches of the nile? hint: draw an equilateral triangle that encloses all five branches of the nile in figure 2.1.
figure 2.1 the pyramids of giza were built of quarried blocks of fossiliferous eocene - age limestone. the nearby sphinx was carved from this same limestone in situ.

Explanation:

Step1: Consider the shape - delta

When we draw an equilateral triangle enclosing all five branches of the Nile, the shape formed by the river branches at the mouth resembles the Greek letter delta ($\Delta$). This visual similarity likely prompted Herodotus to coin the term.

Answer:

The shape of the area marked by the branches of the Nile at its mouth resembled the Greek letter delta ($\Delta$), which likely prompted Herodotus to coin the term.