1. Representation of the earth's surface

1.1 History

Evidence of topographical work can be found as far back as antiquity (hydraulic works, construction of large buildings). Clearly, the definition of land ownership already required the intervention of surveyors in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, but the great expansion of all these techniques dates from the 17th century in Europe and especially in France. The work of the Académie des Sciences is linked to the measurement of the Earth's shape, and although Abbé Picard developed extremely precise sighting instruments as early as 1660, it was men like Bouguer, La Condamine, Clairaut, Huyghens, etc., and then the four generations of Cassini, who made absolutely decisive progress in geodesy and cartography in little more than a century.