
Early cultures saw the world as a flat disc, but by the time of the ancient Greeks, many people believed that the Earth was spherical.

Ancient Greeks’ Perception of the Earthįor centuries, people have looked up at the night sky and wondered about the shape of the Earth. In short, understanding the shape of the Earth is essential for both scientific and practical purposes. And architects and engineers can use it to design buildings and bridges that can withstand high winds and earthquakes. Not only does it help us to understand our place in the universe, but it also has a wide range of practical applications.įor example, mapmakers can use the knowledge that the Earth is round to create more accurate maps. However, the fact that the Earth is a sphere is one of the most important discoveries in history. After all, it’s not something that we can see with our own eyes. It’s easy to take the shape of the Earth for granted. Afterward, you can celebrate finishing your reading by buying one of our special Replogle Globes. In this blog post, we will explore the history of this discovery and discuss why it is such an important piece of world history. But before all that, people used to think the earth was Flat (some still do). The ancient Greeks were some of the first to realize it, and the Magellan-Elcano expedition was the first to provide practical proof. In reality, many people knew that the Earth was round before he ever set sail.

It is a common misconception that Christopher Columbus “discovered” the shape of the Earth.
