"Squaring the Circle" in the Amazon: Graham Hancock Got It Wrong

4/25/2019

Yesterday on my walk home I listened to another chunk of Graham Hancock's appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast. Most of what I listened to was about the new discoveries in the Amazon, which Hancock claims include large geometric earthworks (aka geoglyphs) produced by "squaring the circle." Hancock misuses/misunderstands the term (which refers to constructing a square the same area as a given circle, not just drawing a square around a circle), and consequently concludes that the societies who made the structures had advanced geometrical knowledge.

Rather than write about it, I made a video to demonstrate my point:

11 Comments

Phillip

4/25/2019 06:56:53 pm

I think you should have had a beer in the video to "take a drink" as you watched and gave examples.

Saluki

4/26/2019 02:05:24 pm

Is there actually a powerful uber-secret cliche in modern archaeology working to suppress the notion that tropical rainforest environments can support populations sufficient to construct interesting stuff ranging from decent sized earthworks to stone temples?

Robert Jase

4/26/2019 05:23:51 pm

Graham Hancock is the thinking man's Nick Redfern.

Jimmy

5/29/2019 08:12:27 am

I'm always a skeptic & certainly not an expert. As a skeptic of all things, I've found myself on your blog researching "squaring the circle" after Graham Hancock's comments...

Question: As a professor and considering it is no longer a "dangerous topic" what is your opinion on preclovis advance societies?

Question: To achieve true north using shadows, wouldn't this have to be completed at the exact time of the equinox (or maybe solstice, I'm not an expert alas why i'm asking questions). You didn't exactly nail the this task with a compass on a small scale; without even attempting to achieve true north, wouldn't it suggest that these tribes were quite advanced if it dates in anywhere prior to 5000 BC, let alone 12,800 as GH suggested, regardless if GH used the incorrect terminology throughout an unscripted 2+ hour podcast?

Gary A Farnsworth

6/10/2019 01:00:41 pm

It doesn't necessarily mean that it is tricky, hes saying they discovered that and that they were most likely the first ones to use geometrical structures, scales,etc...

Joe

10/17/2020 04:58:24 pm

The henge and stonehenge were used as calendars and sundials. Farmers need to accurately predict the seasons in order to plant their crops and prepare for the winter starvation. They did not have ropes to build a circle. The easiest method to build a circle for the sundial is to build a perfect square and then build a circle inside the square, and then mark the length of sunlight in the longest day. You worship the sun and the seasons to plant the crops at the correct time. Its simple and realistic and the henges are not as mysterious as people think or over-think their purpose.

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"Squaring the Circle" in the Amazon: Graham Hancock Got It Wrong

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