Ancient Pueblos did not have writing but knew the 'golden geometry'!
Hidden geometric patterns have been identified in early temples erected in pre-Columbian America. The ancient Puebloans did not know writing, yet the sophisticated structures contain Pythagorean triangles and 'golden rectangles'.
Hundreds of years ago, the ancient Pueblo people, southwest of pre-Columbian America, were able to construct complex geometric structures with near-perfect precision. In their structures it is possible to identify equilateral triangles, right triangles and even the so-called 'golden rectangle'. They built them without even knowing how to write a number!
At the 'Temple of the Sun' archaeological site in Colorado, built around the year 1200, researchers have identified numerous geometric shapes that reveal an architectural genius that is almost impossible to replicate.
The extraordinary structures were discovered by Dr. Sherry Towers of Arizone State University, who spent a few years studying the site in Mesa Verde National Park.
“The site is known as a very important ceremonial center for the ancient peoples of the region, including for observing the solstice,” Towers explains in 2017 (https://www.sci.news/archaeology/ancient-pueblo-people-advanced-geometry-04559.html). «My initial interest in the site was to understand if it had also been used for star observation».
Studying the structure in depth, the researcher began to notice the precise geometric models inscribed in the architecture of the site. «When I became aware of the geometric structures, I decided to delve deeper».
Towers' observations (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X16302899) revealed a range of geometric shapes such as equilateral triangles, squares, 45-degree triangles and Pythagorean triangles.
The researcher also identified what is called the 'golden rectangle', the proportions of which are based on the golden ratio, commonly used by architects in ancient Egypt, Greece and Western art.
However, unlike the Egyptians and Greeks, the Pueblos did not have any form of writing, nor a numerical system. Yet, they were able to create complex structures with measurements that have a relative error of less than one percent.
“This is what I find particularly surprising,” Towers continues. “The genius of the site's architects cannot be underestimated.”
“If someone wanted to reconstruct this place and achieve the same precision using only a stick and a piece of string, it is highly unlikely that they would succeed, especially if they do not have a writing system available,” Towers points out.
Some similar sites are also found at Pueblo Bonito, another ancestral ceremonial center in Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico.
The researcher noted that the Mesa Verde site is based on a common unit of measurement that is equivalent to approximately 30 centimeters.
