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Geometry and the Babylonians

Classical

Premium Member
As I look to conclude my final studies towards Fellowcraft proficiency, look at this article that I found!

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/babylonians-used-geometry-track-jupiter’s-movements

Here is a great quote:

Armed with this Babylonian “Rosetta stone,” Ossendrijver determined that Babylonian astronomers used trapezoid-shaped graphs to determine Jupiter’s movements. They calculated how the planet’s velocity changed from day to day and the distance covered by Jupiter over two consecutive 60-day intervals. Ancient Babylonians also divided trapezoidal graphs into two smaller trapezoids of equal area to determine the time when Jupiter traveled half the distance it would eventually cover over 60 days, Ossendrijver finds.

British and French scholars in the 14th century developed similar methods for tracking planets’ movements in an abstract, geometric space. But Babylonians pioneered those astronomical calculations, Ossendrijver says.

Geometry, defined broadly as any mathematical procedure concerning shapes, sizes, lines and angles, was widely used in the ancient world by the time of Babylonian astronomy, Wee says. Ancient Greek astronomers used geometry, although not the trapezoidal procedures developed by Babylonians to study planetary motion.
 

pointwithinacircle2

Rapscallion
Premium Member
Fascinating article. Thanks for posting this. Too many people believe that only "modern" people can possibly be smart enough to have an understanding of complex ideas like the motions of the universe.

As you consider these ancient people, remember that geometry is always calculated from a fixed point in space. Perhaps a large immovable rock embedded in the Earth would work. Or perhaps many rocks squared and fitted together to form a henge, or pyramid, or altar.
 

Classical

Premium Member
You're welcome! I call that way of thinking Modern Hubris, the modern mindset that infects our age. Yeah, aliens had to build ancient wonders, because the ancients were too stupid to know how to do great things without computers! o_O
 

Classical

Premium Member
Did the Babylonians tell how they developed such techniques?

Are there earlier more primitive versions? Or do we only see the perfected technique?

They had no television, radio or internet. Their brains weren't rotted like ours. Heh.

Oh, and yes, the pyramids have many early attempts all over the region.
 
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