But what counts is that it shows roads, rivers and settlements in an attempt to depict realistic spatial arrangements; something which makes it the first example of the kind of map used today.

Older 'maps' have been found - like the scratched-on-ceramic Soleto Map, which shows towns in the southern Italian region of Apulia and dates back to the 5th century BC - but they do not have the characteristics we would associate with a modern topological map. Most existing classical maps are Roman and date from after 1 AD.

The Papyrus, which was restored by Turin's Egyptian Museum, has had an eventful life. The map and the accounts of Spain were etched on it in Alexandria, Egypt, after Artemidorus - who is known to historians mainly because he was cited by a fellow Greek geographer, Strabo - completed his travels of the Mediterranean. But the project was never finished and the rear of the parchment was later used for sketches of real and mythological animals. The parchment, along with other documents and letters, later formed part of the material used to prepare a mummy. This made sure it was preserved for posterity.