Earth Measurement and Origin of Geometry Essay

The event that substantially contributed to the development of mathematics as a science was the flooding of the Nile. I specifically chose this event because the flooding takes place every year, emphasizing how the ancient communities were similar to the current society due to living in the same conditions. In ancient times the sciences were driven by practical concerns, such as measures of land and weight. Therefore, in the case of Nile floods, according to Herodotus, resurveying the fields required the application of measures and principles of geometry, which at those times was limited to earth measurements (Bertoloni et al., 2006).

To resurvey the land, Egyptians used ropes and measured the dimensions of land plots to accurately divide them for taxation purposes. The stretched rope with knots used to divide the rope into twelve equal parts was called a “harpedonaptai” (Rowe, 2018, p.243). The rope could form a 3-4-5 triangle which was used for building purposes to define foundations.

Regarding society’s reaction to the event and its social context, the flooding was acknowledged as one of the year’s most important events. As rainfalls are very rare in Egypt, the flooding was the only opportunity for the earth to maintain the moisture level required to grow the crops. Moreover, the rivers presented the center of development of civilizations, with Mesopotamia even being called a “land between rivers” (McClellan & Dorn, 2006, p.33). Ancient Egyptians’ calendar started from the flooding due to its influence and benefits that the flooding caused on Egypt’s agricultural and economic development. Thus, by resurveying the land after the flooding, the ancient Egyptians established the early principles of geometry. The event emphasizes the practical origins of geometry and mathematics and draws the connection to how geometry was used for economic and agricultural purposes.

References

Bertoloni, M. D., Dorn, H., & McClellan, J. E. I. (2006). Science and technology in world history: An introduction. Johns Hopkins University Press.

McClellan, J. E., & Dorn, H. (2006). Science and technology in world history: An introduction (2^nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press.

Rowe, D. E. (2018) A Richer picture of mathematics. Springer.