9.23-Response- Ancient Egyptian land surveying

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It's fascinating to consider how the ancient Egyptians were able to construct precise structures using only simple tools like measuring ropes and rulers. This made me reflect on whether our modern society is overly reliant on high technology and overlooks the ingenuity of simple tools and methods. The "stretching the cord" technique and the precise alignment of the pyramids showcased the ancient people's manual skills and spatial imagination.

Another point that stood out to me was the role of astronomical observations in measurements. It made me realize that ancient people's observation of nature was so smart and their connection with heaven and earth was closer. While we rely on high-tech means like GPS today, I wonder if we have lost some of the wisdom of 'looking up at the stars' and the connection with nature.

 My two questions:

1. How did the Egyptians maintain such precision in their surveying methods, especially when constructing pyramids and temples using only simple tools like measuring rods and ropes?

2. How did the practical need for surveying, essential for agricultural land redistribution after the annual Nile floods, influence the evolution of mathematical knowledge in ancient Egypt?

One surprising fact: the connection between astronomy and surveying in Egypt, particularly using the stars to align buildings like the Great Pyramid, was an aspect I hadn’t fully appreciated before. I'm amazed by how they combine spirituality and science.

Comments

  1. Erica HuangSeptember 24, 2024 at 3:52 PM

    Great reflection, Nanxi! I'm also fascinated by how the ancient Egyptians combine spirituality and science. Excellent point about the effect of technology use. It also makes me think about how this applies in math classrooms. A few days ago, a colleague of mine was doing an activity involving a good, old compass & straight-edge constructions in math class, which we now don't do enough with the advancement of dynamic geometric software. While I greatly support incorporating technology in math class, there is still something cool about using simple, tangible tools in math classrooms!

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