How Did Ancient People Travel Without Maps?

Ancient people used tricks, stories, and things they could see to travel without maps.

Imagine you're walking through a forest to visit your friend’s house. You don’t have a map, but you know the way because you’ve walked it before. Ancient people did something similar, but on much bigger trips, like from one city to another!

Ancient travelers used the sun during the day and the stars at night to find their way. The sun moves across the sky, so if you know where it is, you can tell which direction you're facing. At night, some people looked up at the sky and followed special stars, like the North Star, to keep going straight.

Some ancient people asked other travelers or locals for help. It was like asking someone who knows the way better! They also remembered stories about paths or landmarks, kind of like how you might remember the route to the park by remembering a big red sign you pass on the way.

Sometimes, they followed rivers or roads that were already there, just like you follow a path in a park to get where you're going.