  Ordinary baryonic particles (such as protons and neutrons) account for only
one-sixth of the total matter in the Universe. The remainder is a mysterious
"dark matter" component, which does not interact via electromagnetism and thus
neither emits nor reflects light. As dark matter cannot be seen directly using
traditional observations, very little is currently known about its properties.
It does interact via gravity, and is most effectively probed through
gravitational lensing: the deflection of light from distant galaxies by the
gravitational attraction of foreground mass concentrations. This is a purely
geometrical effect that is free of astrophysical assumptions and sensitive to
all matter -- whether baryonic or dark. Here we show high fidelity maps of the
large-scale distribution of dark matter, resolved in both angle and depth. We
find a loose network of filaments, growing over time, which intersect in
massive structures at the locations of clusters of galaxies. Our results are
consistent with predictions of gravitationally induced structure formation, in
which the initial, smooth distribution of dark matter collapses into filaments
then into clusters, forming a gravitational scaffold into which gas can
accumulate, and stars can be built.
