Mathematical Genius of Babylonia

An Ancient Calculator Discovered

Have you ever looked at some of the Ancient Wonders of the World and wondered how did they do that? From the ancient pyramids to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, these architectural and engineering marvels astound even today. Don’t be ashamed, countless people including the brightest minds of modern society have also pondered these questions. The mystery of how ancient cultures built such amazing buildings may, just now, be on the brink of discovery.

In the 1930’s a New York publisher by the name of George Plimpton bequeathed an a broken Babylonian clay tablet to Columbia University. This cuneiform tablet, which has subsequently been named Plimpton 322, has been studied in great detail and mathematicians think they have just now discovered it’s purpose.

Contains a series of trigonometry tables that are more accurate than any in use today

This 3,700-year-old tablet contains not only a theorem for working out that the square of the longest side is always equal to the sum of the squares of the other two; but also contains a series of trigonometry tables that are more accurate than any in use today. Plimpton 322 predates Hipparchus (traditionally regarded as the father of trigonometry) by 1,000 years.

This tool could have very well been used to survey land, and calculate how to build temples, palaces, and pyramids.

The genius of the unknown Babylonian who etched his calculations on the soft clay tablet is illustrated because the base 60 used in calculations by the Babylonians permitted much more accurate fractions than the base 10 used by today’s mathematicians. Clearly, the Babylonians used a simpler and more accurate trigonometry than today and illustrates how ancient cultures can teach us something new. This ancient method of trigonometry has practical applications for modern day surveying, computer graphics, and education.

There are hundreds of cuneiform tablets that have not yet been deciphered. What mysteries might they hold?

To learn more about this topic, refer to National Geographic.

If you liked this post, you’ll probably love 11 Lost Ancient Cities Found: Locations Surmised from a 4,000 Year-Old Assyrian Tablet.

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