3,700-year-old Babylonian tablet rewrites history of Trigonometry

The more we learn about ancient or old civilizations the more we need to learn.

A 3,700-year-old clay tablet has proven that the Babylonians developed trigonometry 1,500 years before the Greeks and were using a sophisticated method of mathematics which could change how we calculate today.

www.telegraph.co.uk...

The tablet was unearthed in the 1900's and only now has Australian researchers figured out it is the oldest and most accurate Trigonometry table found yet.

The true meaning of the tablet has eluded experts until now but new research by the University of New South Wales, Australia, has shown it is the world’s oldest and most accurate trigonometric table, which was probably used by ancient architects to construct temples, palaces and canals.

This makes the Greek astronomer Hipparchus no longer the father of Trig.

The Greek astronomer Hipparchus, who lived around 120BC, has long been regarded as the father of trigonometry, with his ‘table of chords’ on a circle considered the oldest trigonometric table.

a reply to: seasonal

That's crazy and cool at the same time.
I remember getting an instant headache from trig in school and calculus almost made my head explode.
The little bit I do remember of it, I should say lol

a reply to: seasonal

Nice find.

Quiet the advancement to time table of history. I wonder what else they knew?

a reply to: RazorV66

In the story they said it was to survey fields, or help make architectural calculations. Seems the ancient people are more advanced than given credit for.

“Plimpton 322 was a powerful tool that could have been used for surveying fields or making architectural calculations to build palaces, temples or step pyramids,” added Dr Mansfield.

The Greeks learnt from the Egyptians. The Library of Alexandra was the ancient equivalent of a university. Many of the Greek Scholars spent time there learning their craft.

You can't build all of the ancient Egyptian monuments without this level of math.

So the Babylonians taught the Egyptians who taught the Greeks who taught us.

It is also very likely that the Babylonians were taught by an earlier civilization.

P

a reply to: seasonal

I don't know the answer to my question, but I wonder how many civilizations have preceded our current existing civilization, and how many have been thwarted by misinformation and hidden histories/knowledge? My guess is at least 10, but I have no idea over how far back. Surely the Babylonians knew Trigonometry, The Tower of Babel, IF it existed? It is hard to comprehend our history when so little has withstood time, and it's even harder to guess how many times Trigonometry has been discovered by a civilization. Something/someone is working against our collaboration and collective, something/someone doesn't want us to progress naturally, rather, we are often set back a couple of steps, key steps. I wonder who or what would do that, and why?

a reply to: seasonal

Just saw this.
Fascinating...and not that surprising.

originally posted by: pheonix358


It is also very likely that the Babylonians were taught by an earlier civilization.

P

Well before them, the area was Sumerian. Before that, the Ubaid culture. Before that, the Hassuna culture (before 6,000 BC). And before that, the cultural trail just fades into clues through illegible pottery.

It's also what influenced/inspired most Jewish mythology (Old Testament). Much later, the Islamic culture in the area led the world in science, math, and astronomy for quite some time.

If it's so much more accurate than Base 10...Why don't we use Base 60 today?

originally posted by: Boscov
a reply to: seasonal

I don't know the answer to my question, but I wonder how many civilizations have preceded our current existing civilization, and how many have been thwarted by misinformation and hidden histories/knowledge? My guess is at least 10, but I have no idea over how far back. Surely the Babylonians knew Trigonometry, The Tower of Babel, IF it existed? It is hard to comprehend our history when so little has withstood time, and it's even harder to guess how many times Trigonometry has been discovered by a civilization. Something/someone is working against our collaboration and collective, something/someone doesn't want us to progress naturally, rather, we are often set back a couple of steps, key steps. I wonder who or what would do that, and why?

I think Graham Hancock said it best,
"I believe we are a species with amnesia, I think we have forgotten our roots and our origins. I think we are quite lost in many ways. And we live in a society that invests huge amounts of money and vast quantities of energy in ensuring that we all stay lost. A society that invests in creating unconsciousness, which invests in keeping people asleep so that we are just passive consumers or products and not really asking any of the questions.

a reply to: Abysha

Cuneiform is Sumerian.

a reply to: Boscov

I agree but I can see another way. There maybe something we do not know and it could be a hidden secret.

But then we have people like Einstein/Tesla coming up with the theories they did. It could be the odd ( in a super smarty pants way) person that can/did change everything.

I can't believe revisionist islamaphobes are still trying to deny muslims invented numbers and mathematics. (Sarcasm)

originally posted by: Abysha

Sorry. Thought you had referred to the tablet as Babylonian.
I see you were only pointing out that they conquered the Sumerians.

a reply to: seasonal

I view Trigonometry as an expression that came forward through observation which then was imagined, and then written into theory, and then proofs. Therefore, Trigonometry is a cornerstone of humanity, what it is to be human, to interact with our environment, with inherent consciousness. Trigonometry is a signature of humanity, created by our ancestors and left to be discovered by our heirs. A structured art form expressed through the language of mathematics. There are unstructured art forms as well, chaotic in expression, but we haven't discovered those yet, or we have, but haven't defined them yet, if they are definable, as their nature is chaotic, without structure.

Humanity has other signatures as well, some we should not be proud of.

originally posted by: IAMTAT
If it's so much more accurate than Base 10...Why don't we use Base 60 today?

Flouride?

originally posted by: IAMTAT

originally posted by: Abysha

Sorry. Thought you had referred to the tablet as Babylonian.
I see you were only pointing out that they conquered the Sumerians.

No problem.

That entire region is holy to me. Too bad I wouldn't be welcomed there anytime soon.

originally posted by: IAMTAT
If it's so much more accurate than Base 10...Why don't we use Base 60 today?

We do, 60 minutes, 60 seconds, 12 hours in a day. Them nephilim had 12 fingers and toes ya know.

Want to know something crazy about me?

I tense up, that heavy heart beat moment everytime I look up antediluvian civilizations, wierd huh? I can't explain, but I feel like everytime I look up the subject, there is this subconscious connect that I can't explain.

I also recall this same image, sort of looking up at this vast blue sky, some sporadic clouds and having this feeling of confusion, as if my current perspective can't quite grasp the inner functions and society that appears to be flourishing, the ultimate culture shock in a sense, almost as if I am the bacmward thinking being.

Perhaps a different life, who knows...

Just my personal opinion, but humans are survivors and adaptive quick learners, I truly believe highly advance civilizations dotted the globe of a radically different earth, pre flood era, maybe even during the tertiary period.