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Jorge, M. d. C., B. J. Williams, et al.
(2011). "Mathematical accuracy of Aztec land surveys assessed from
records in the Codex Vergara." Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences 108(37): 15053-15057. Land surveying in ancient states is documented not only for Eurasia but also for the Americas, amply attested by two Acolhua–Aztec pictorial manuscripts from the Valley of Mexico. The Codex Vergara and the Códice de Santa María Asunción consist of hundreds of drawings of agricultural fields that uniquely record surface areas as well as perimeter measurements. A previous study of the Codex Vergara examines how Acolhua–Aztecs determined field area by reconstructing their calculation procedures. Here we evaluate the accuracy of their area values using modern mathematics. The findings verify the overall mathematical validity of the codex records. Three-quarters of the areas are within 5% of the maximum possible value, and 85% are within 10%, which compares well with reported errors by Western surveyors that postdate Aztec–Acolhua work by several centuries. This appears to be an open access article. See: http://www.pnas.org/content/current#SocialSciences -- Dr. Duane F. Marble Email: dmarble at OregonFast.net 2226 Primrose Lane Telephone: 541.902.8837 Florence, OR 97439 Cell: 541.991.1730 Emeritus Professor of Geography -- The Ohio State University Courtesy Professor of Geosciences -- Oregon State University |
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