Imagine you are drawing a map of your bedroom. You draw your bed, the door, and maybe a scary monster under the closet because that is where you lost your toy. Ancient people did this too! They knew some places were far away and we do not know what is there. So they drew monsters or strange beasts to say "be careful here." These maps are not about being wrong. They are about showing what is unknown with fun pictures.
Why Monsters? The monsters acted like warning signs. If you saw a [dragon](/search?q=dragon) on the map, it meant that area was wild and dangerous. It helped [travelers](/search?q=travelers) know what to expect when they went off the beaten path.
Examples
- The center of the map is Jerusalem and it looks big even though other places are closer.
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