It is a significant feature of Babylonian mathematics that instead of what we call “the number π” – needed for the computation of the area and the circumference of a circle – there has always been ...used the value 3. Usually this is considered an approximation to the “correct” value of π. But it rather seems to be the result of a specific Babylonian way to define the area measure of a circle.
This article examines communal feasting in Mesopotamia during the late third millennium
bc
. Though there is admittedly a lack of archaeological evidence from this time, and an absence of procedural ...or prescriptive texts that would amount to recipes for specific dishes or protocols for specific feasts, much relevant information can be extracted from the administrative documents. This article describes banquets in honor of gods, kings, and the dead and catering for the workforce.
