Going underground: Cambridge digs into the history of geology with landmark exhibition

A box full of diamonds, volcanic rock from Mount Vesuvius, and the geology guide that Darwin packed for his epic voyage on the Beagle will go on display in Cambridge this week as part of the first major exhibition to celebrate geological map-making. We show how for the first time people were encouraged to think about the secretive world beneath their feet. Allison Ksiazkiewicz Uncovering how the ground beneath our feet was mapped for the first time - and revealing some of the controversies and tragedies geology brought to the surface of intellectual debate, Landscapes Below opens to the public on Friday, November 24, at Cambridge University Library. Featuring the biggest-ever object (1.9mx1.6m) to go on display at the Library: George Bellas Greenough's 1819 A Geological Map of England and Wales (the first map produced by the Geological Society of London), as well as a visually stunning collection of maps from the earliest days of geology - the exhibition explores how these new subterranean visions of the British landscape influenced our understanding of the Earth. All the maps belonging to the library are going on display for the first time. "I think the maps are beautiful objects, tell fascinating stories and frame geology in a new light," said exhibition curator Allison Ksiazkiewicz. "This was a new take on nature and a new way of thinking about the landscape for those interested in nature.