Unprecedented mathematical knowledge found in (Minoan) Bronze Age wall paintings.

www.nature.com/news ^ | 28 February 2006 | Philip Ball

[bert]

I don't have time this morning to run it down, but suspect this is in reality a very early instance of the Golden Mean. The spiral is generated by plotting values developed graphically by various multiples of Golden mean rectangles.

The Golden Mean is used in the construction of the Great Pyramid so Minoan usage might not be all that big a deal.

By the way, the spiral is incorporated into the geometry of a pine cone so it won't roll down hill.

[Ramius]

I think we routinely underestimate ancient societies.

I don't think it is unreasonable to think that at various times in history (and prehistory) some discoveries were made that perhaps only barely missed connection with other ideas that would have launched technologies centuries earlier. I cannot imagine what was lost in the burning(s) of the library at Alexandria... things that took centuries to rediscover and build upon.

[Graymatter]

Seems like every time I connect to the internet, somebody's got a new date for the Thera catastrophe.
Just once I'd like to see "Minoan-Egyptian Dictionary found." Or "Board Game Pieces for Phaistos Disk Found."

[Shanda]

Minoan civilization has always intrigued me. Ever since a professor showed us a slide show of Crete, the Greek Islands, and Greece.

I always thought Crete was the leader in civilization until for some unknown reason, possibly attacks from mainland Greece, they ceased to be.

What ever the reason, Crete has always fascinated me.

[SunkenCiv]

The Linear B Tablets and Mycenaean Social, Political, and Economic Organization
Lesson 25, The Prehistoric Archaeology of the Aegean
Revised: Friday, March 18, 2000 | Trustees of Dartmouth College
Posted on 08/29/2004 11:19:46 PM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1202723/posts
6 posted on 08/30/2004 3:43:06 PM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1202723/posts?page=6#6

[SunkenCiv]

The Phaistos Disk
various | various | various
Posted on 09/22/2005 11:12:35 AM EDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1489304/posts

[Emmalein]

ping

[Reddy]

We're currently studying Crete, the Minoans and Greece with my first grader. It really is fascinating. (We made a Mycenaean helmet out of paper mache.)

Anyway, we went to see "Greece" at the Imax a few days ago, and I wish that I had realized that Santorini was actually Thera, as a lot of the first part of the film was based there. I would recommend seeing this production when it gets to your area.

I only wish we could travel to the Mediterannean (sp) to visit it first hand. The scenery was breathtaking!

[r9etb]

Maybe they just saw a snail and admired the spiral shape of the shell. No math needed, but it is a perfect expression of the golden mean

Without taking a stand on the accuracy of the claim, the article states that the Archimedes spiral is not found in nature, and it specifically mentions that snail shells do not follow that pattern.

[r9etb]

(We made a Mycenaean helmet out of paper mache.)

Perfect for defending yourself against a man armed with a banana.

[Centurion2000]

I don't think it is unreasonable to think that at various times in history (and prehistory) some discoveries were made that perhaps only barely missed connection with other ideas that would have launched technologies centuries earlier. I cannot imagine what was lost in the burning(s) of the library at Alexandria... things that took centuries to rediscover and build upon.

I remember reading about the Ionian civilization on the east coast of the Adriatic duringthe Greek era. If they had garnered a little more power and support from the Greeks, the industrial revolution could have started 2000 years earlier than the Rennaissance.

[Dustbunny]

Interesting

[antisocial]

Information at this site would refute those claims.

http://goldennumber.net/

[r9etb]

A way-cool site; however, I don't see where it addresses the article's claim that the Archimedes spiral does not match natural patterns such as snail shells.

[jimtorr]

Archimedes certainly did not invent geometry. Ancient civilisations in Iraq, India and China demonstrate that they knew the subject well. Writings have been found, such as student excercise tablets from temples in Babylon.

One link to a discussion of mathematics in Babylon is: http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Babylonian_mathematics.html

A link to a short discussion of Early Geometry: The Babylonians, Egyptians & Chinese: http://library.thinkquest.org/C0110248/geometry/history1.htm

The above link even says, "The Pythagorean Theorem, although named after Pythagoras, was actually already known in ancient times.". It goes on to say why the writers think so.

In answer to your question, I think Archimedes published material that he was taught, added some original work and called the whole body of work his own. More a plaigarist than a Korean fake.

[S0122017]

Still the idea that math may be a lot older makes sense to me. And it does certainly makes it likely that Archimedes was at least inspired by Minoan designs, perhaps more.

[S0122017]

Seems like every time I connect to the internet, somebody's got a new date for the Thera catastrophe. Just once I'd like to see "Minoan-Egyptian Dictionary found." Or "Board Game Pieces for Phaistos Disk Found."

It never occured to me it may be a game..
I still dont think it is, but as a suggestion it aint half bad. I think it is more likely some magic thingy, with encoded writing. Like a good luck charm for youre house.

[capitalist229]

I thought that this mathematical relationship was discovered in the 13th century by Fibonacci (called the Fibonacci series or sequence) ?

http://www.ualr.edu/~lasmoller/fibonacci.html

It's also heavily used in finance to analyze economic cycles.

BUMP

[S0122017]

You have been watching the movie "Phi"?