Early maps served primarily for what purposes?

Early maps served primarily for what purposes?

• A. Astronomical study
• B. Trade and travel
• C. Religious rituals
• D. Agricultural planning

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that early maps were practical guides for moving people and goods across unfamiliar spaces. They helped traders and travelers plan routes, locate markets and ports, and estimate the paths and landscapes between destinations. This focus on navigation and exchange explains why trade and travel is the best answer: maps were tools to get from place to place efficiently, manage journeys, and coordinate commerce. While some maps included astronomical or religious elements, their primary purpose was practical navigation and supporting economic activity. Agricultural planning or religious rituals were not the central reason people drew or used maps, even if those ideas appeared on some maps as additions.