Talk abstract details
Beyond the Cosmological: Numerical: Scenarios Underneathy Ancient Annular Architectural Structures
Abstract
“Cecì est la regle du carré et du cercle. Pour toutes choses, la circonférence (tcheou) est en usage, et les figures circulaire et carrée sont employées. L’officier dit ta-tsiang (grand charpentier, titre du Tcheou-li) prend ses mesures. Le compass et le règle sont apprêtés. Tantot on rompt le carré et on fait un cercle. Tantot on brise le cercle et on fait un carré. Au milieu d’un carré, quand on fait un cercle, on appelle cette figure cercle-carré. Au milieu d’un cercle, quand on fait un carré, on appelle cette figure carré-cercle.” (Tcheou-Pei-Souan-King, book one)
A circle associated with a square, as geometrical representation of the cosmos, is frequent in ancient cultures, mainly with the earth represented by the square and the sky by the circle. Quite many are the circular or circle-and-square - important and less-important - architectures of the past that have been interpreted, often on sound and convincing grounds, as related to the cosmologies of the cultures to which they belong.
In this paper are presented CAD geometrical analyses performed on several relevant cases where a particular circular geometry (CQC) applies. These are the geometries of those annular structures where the square Q that can be inscribed into the external circumference Cext is such that the internal circumference Cint results in turn perfectly inscribable in the square (Cext – Q - Cint ; CQC in short). Beyond the eventual cosmological aspects, this geometry bears underneath a strict numerical structure that can be put in relation to the length-units used by the builders.
A large but yet largely uncomplete repertory of examples is presented, ranging from Nuragic Sardinia and Megalithic Corsica to Mesoamerican Monuments not excluding Minoans, Greeks, Romans and others. In several cases the found lenth-units coincide with known units. The possible connection with celestial alignements is also discussed when supposable.
A circle associated with a square, as geometrical representation of the cosmos, is frequent in ancient cultures, mainly with the earth represented by the square and the sky by the circle. Quite many are the circular or circle-and-square - important and less-important - architectures of the past that have been interpreted, often on sound and convincing grounds, as related to the cosmologies of the cultures to which they belong.
In this paper are presented CAD geometrical analyses performed on several relevant cases where a particular circular geometry (CQC) applies. These are the geometries of those annular structures where the square Q that can be inscribed into the external circumference Cext is such that the internal circumference Cint results in turn perfectly inscribable in the square (Cext – Q - Cint ; CQC in short). Beyond the eventual cosmological aspects, this geometry bears underneath a strict numerical structure that can be put in relation to the length-units used by the builders.
A large but yet largely uncomplete repertory of examples is presented, ranging from Nuragic Sardinia and Megalithic Corsica to Mesoamerican Monuments not excluding Minoans, Greeks, Romans and others. In several cases the found lenth-units coincide with known units. The possible connection with celestial alignements is also discussed when supposable.