The Application of Advanced Geometry in Babylonian Astronomy

Ancient astronomers belonging to Babylonian culture are known for their use of various mathematical methods to predict the positions of celestial bodies in space. However, new evidence has emerged indicating that they utilized advanced geometric methods to create a table showing the movements of the planet Jupiter. This occurred centuries before the establishment of calculus. According to Radio Liberty, this new discovery could change the history of mathematics and physics in textbooks. Matthew Osendrija, a science historian who discovered this evidence, states that it was previously believed that the roots of these geometric techniques dated back to the 14th century, but with this discovery, all of that history changes. Osendrija, a professor at Humboldt University in Germany, recently published his analysis results of five stone tablets held at the British Museum in the prestigious scientific journal 'Science.' The date of these stone tablets, inscribed with cuneiform script, goes back to 350 years before Christ. These tablets were discovered in the late 19th century, about 100 kilometers south of Baghdad. The tablets contain writings, but there is no evidence of design; however, Osendrija claims that the table within them shows a four-sided trapezoidal design. This table indicates how the acceleration of the planet Jupiter changes as it moves along its orbit. The figures on these stone tablets cover a sixty-year period, starting from the day a giant planet—identified with a Babylonian god named Marduk—was observed in the sky. Alexander Jones, a professor at New York University in the United States, believes that this new discovery provides a way to understand the roots of the development of mathematics and its application in physics. According to Jones, while there was no doubt about the intelligence of the Babylonians and their advancement for their time, 'this new discovery shows that these ancient scientists, who were engaged in studying the movements of celestial bodies in their temples, had the same mental model that we previously thought emerged in Western European culture during the Middle Ages.'