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A mysterious 'star map' long thought lost has finally been discovered, after a 2000-year search saw it fall into myth and legend.

The star map, which was created by ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus in the 2nd century BC, is the first to try and record the positions of the stars and planets.

The map mysteriously disappeared over the centuries but has now been found by a team of French researchers.

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It suggests that ancient civilisations had a grasp on the stars much earlier than previously thought, and brings an end to an Indiana Jones-style hunt through history.

Victor Gysembergh, a professor at the French National Center for Scientific Research, said: "This discovery proves that Hipparchus, often considered the greatest astronomer of ancient Greece, really did map the heavens centuries before other known attempts."

The map was apparently found hidden in the pages of an ancient Christian manuscript beneath some other text.

Scientists were able to decipher this 'invisible ink' using high-tech imaging tools, and eventually uncover the lost map.

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The star map is important because it marks the first recorded attempt in human history to measure the stars, with Prof Gysembergh telling VICE it was a "major milestone in the birth of science".

Apparently. it is even more accurate than later maps created by the astronomer Ptolemy.

With NASA launching the James Webb telescope earlier this year, it's clear humanity has come a long way from Hipparchus in measuring the stars—but that doesn't mean there aren't more discoveries to be made in the deep past.

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