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FRACTAL GEOMETRY IN MESOAMERICA




by
Gerardo Burkle Elizondo
Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas
Zacatecas, Mexico




Symmetry Foundation. Digitized 2004 by permission of publisher.




Elizondo, G. B. (2001). Fractal geometry in Mesoamerica [Special issue of Symmetry:
Culture and Science]. Symmetry in Ethnomathematics, 12(1-2), 201-214. Budapest,
Hungary: International Symmetry Foundation.




This product was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a component of the National Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Digital Library (NSDL), award number DUE0121749. Any
opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily reflect the views of NSF.
Symmetry: Culture and Science
Vol. 12, Nos. 1-2, 201-214, 2001
FRACTAL GEOMETRY IN MESOAMERICA
Gerardo Burkle Elizondo
Doctorado En Historia Del Centro Interinstitucional De Investigaciones En Artes Y Humanidades De La
Universidad Autonoma De Zacatecas.
Address: Colina de San Antonio #105, Las Colinas, CP 98064, Zacatecas, Zac. Mxico. E-mail:
burklecaos@hotmail.com.
Abstract: Fractal Dimension in different groups of mesoamerican artistic and
architectural works was quantified in 106 structures. To make the analysis we used the
Benoit program in order to calculate Box Dimension, Information Dimension,
Mass Dimension and Y value about Fractal Dimension. We found a general
average of 1.92 for fractal dimension with values by groups in a range between 1.883
and 2.038. These results are in a very good agreement with the fact that the values of
complex fractals are usually situated between 1.5 and 2.0. Fractal dimension shows the
efficiency with which an object fills the space that contains it, and is quantificated like
the morphology of their complexity.
Scaling properties exponent were proved, and specifically the fractal dimension
obtained looks like a possible pattern. We think that part of the simple rules that could
explain these complex dynamics findings is the fact that the artists and architects in
Mesoamerica used mathematics in their work. The finding of proportional systems
and golden units to measure in modular forms, like scaling rectangles and other
techniques to get harmonic and constant units in the case of Mesoamerica, had been
proved by some authors.
INTRODUCTION
The study of geometric analysis and mathematics that were used in art composition and
construction in Mesoamerica is not yet clearly established.
202 G. BURKLE ELIZONDO
Some approaches have been developed, and in general agree with the fact that there was
a basic form that fundamentally consisted in the use of golden unit measurements.
In her book, Margarita Martnez del Sobral (2000) speaks, as did before Beatrz de la
Fuente about the Olmec sculpture (1984), about the existence of proportional systems
consisting of rectangular standardized modules of standardized measurements. These
rectangles were in fact golden and harmonic units.
She found some constants in this way, basically different golden rectangle measures,
and a developing in a spiral harmonic method related to growing rectangles.
Therefore the figures appear like proportions in a module that can be geometrically
analyzed. The rectangles can also move and grow in a spiral way to get, with the
rotations, new and bigger rectangles but in proportion with its golden basic initial unit.
Also she shows in her book the Fibonacci serie and finds many turn angles that were
used in Mesoamerica in art and in architecture and urbanism.
Both, De la Fuente and Martnez had proven that in the prehispanic world a system like
this was used constantly by many cultures over the times, as a well developed geometric
scheme by scribes (Tlacuilos), artists, sculptors and architects making of this a
standardized technique and a universal tool in composition, and that these rules were
transmitted like a tradition from one generation to another.
The fact that the use of mathematics was a conscious planning device is not discussed
now, but we need to try to understand better about the techniques that were used to
calculate, design and create aesthetic proportions, in order to know what the evolution
of art and history really was.
HYPOTHESES
Mesoamerican astronomers developed, as is well known, a deep knowledge about the
movement of stars and planets. They in fact made a connection between the cosmic
geometric scheme that learned from the sky, and their own lives. To them all were
related to sacredness and to the gods: their art, architecture and even the places and form
of construction and the orientation of the cities. The part of archaeology that studies this
matter is named archaeoastronomy.
FRACTAL GEOMETRY AT MESOAMERICA 203
The Maya mathematical system was a vigesimal one. Eric Thompson (1950, p. 143)
found the uinic like a standard measure whose value was 20 units in a cord-length
used to measure the land.
Before him the linguist Daniel Brinton (1890, pp. 433-451) reported that he found
words for measurings in nahuatl and maya-yucateco languages that correspond to
some of the dimensions of the human body, for example the arm and the foot and
others.
Some authorities like V. Garth Norman had found a very probable mesoamerican
cultural marker in a codo equivalent, whose measurement is 49.5 centimeters or 19.49
inch, and that this and their multiples and divisions were used, for example, in
Theotihuacan and in many parts of the Maya area.
The engineer Hugh Harleston (1974) who made measurements of the Theotihuacan
pyramids finally also found the smallest fraction represented by the number 19 and
other standards very close to a meter.
In a previous paper we reported the finding of Fractal Dimension in many
mesoamerican art and architectural works (Burkle 2001). Now we collected a greater
number of structures, especially a big and representative number of pyramids to
increase the value.
From the foregoing evidence, we think that the use in this field of fractal geometry
would make sense in two ways: first we hypostatize that mesoamerican art, sculpture,
aesthetics and architecture, with particular attention to the mayas, are fractals or at
least have fractal dimension in their basic form. This could mean that the designs, the
projects and their conceptions are easier to understand in a base of complex patterns
with up or down scale properties, that are characterized by a fractal exponents with
particular magnitudes. We found these values between 1.883 and 2.038 in the averages
of ten groups that we submit to analysis.
The second point is that we think that probably the mayas knew and used mathematics
that today science calls non-linear, scalant, boundaries, Fibonacci series,
extrange attractors, self-affinity, self-similarity, fractals, concepts that belong
to chaos theory.
204 G. BURKLE ELIZONDO
Confirmation about the discovery of a standard unit requires different ways of study and
precise and consistent use checking, and we think that the fractal and chaos theory
application could help to increase the understanding of the real dimension and grade of
mesoamerican cultural development.
METHODS
Today fractal analysis is a universal tool that had been applied to many sciences. It
seems that no previous study had been done about its application to understand ancient
mathematics, especially those that were used in Mxico during the prehispanic period.
We know that they were very good mathematicians, and in fact our findings in this
study confirm this, especially because in our fractal analysis we found a very close
geometric pattern has is shown in the results.
The study was divided in 10 groups:
1. Walls sculptures of Palenque temples
2. Maya stelas of different places
3. Maya hieroglyphs from Palenque
4. Pyramids and temples from various places of Mesoamerica
5. Different calendars in stones and codex (Tonalamatl)
6. Various codex pages, specially from the Dresde one
7. Murals of different parts of Mesoamerica
8. Great stone monuments like the Aztec calendar, Coatlicue, a Tula giant, stela D from
Copn and a colossal head from La Venta
9. Astronomic stones and
10. Figures in ceramic from the Maya culture.
The ten groups give a total of 106 figures that were analysed and that are described in
Table 1. Basically the images correspond first to Maya culture, developed at Chiapas
and Yucatn in Mxico, Tikal at Guatemala and Copn Honduras, and to the Aztec or
Mexica cultures developed at Mexican Central High-plains, and some to the Toltec and
Olmec cultures from Mxico.
FRACTAL GEOMETRY AT MESOAMERICA 205
God Coyoxauqui of the Aztec culture at Mxico
Temple Pyramid of Tikal of the Maya culture at Guatemala
206 G. BURKLE ELIZONDO
Disc metal plate of the Cenote Sagrado of Chichen Itz, of the Maya culture at Yucatn, Mxico
Codex Fejrvry-Mayer page 1, Mixteca culture from Mxico
FRACTAL GEOMETRY AT MESOAMERICA 207
Temple of the Sun Panel at Palenque Chiapas, Mxico
To make the analysis these figures were first scanned and saved as bitmap files.
Thereafter the images were analysed with the Benoit Program version 1.3 for Fractal
Analysis System. Then we calculated three main characteristics about the fractal
dimension of each one: its Box Dimension, Information Dimension, and the Mass
Dimension with the Y value in each case with their respective standard errors, and
intercepts on log-log plots graphs.
The selection of the structures and images were non-random.
Table 1: Art and Architecture Analysed Groups
I. PALENQUE AND OTHER TABLETS (Milbrath 1999).
II. MAYA STELAS AND OTHERS (Aveni 1997).
III. MAYA HIEROGLYPHS (Milbrath 1999).
IV. PYRAMIDS AND TEMPLES OF MESOAMERICA (Marquina 1964).
208 G. BURKLE ELIZONDO
V. CALENDARS (TONALAMATL) AND ASTRONOMIC STONES
(Thompson 1950).
VI. CODEX PAGES (Harleston 1974).
VII. MURALS OF MESOAMERICA CITYES (Aveni 1997).
VIII. GREAT STONE MONUMENTS (Tyler 1995).
IX. ASTRONOMIC STONES (Broda Prucha 1991).
X. CERAMIC VASEES AND OTHERS (Schele and Grube 1997).
EXPLANATION ABOUT THE ANALYSIS
(BENOIT FRACTAL ANALYSIS SYSTEM)
To get our data we used the program (TruSoft Intl Inc. Benoit, version 1.3: Fractal
Analysis System. 20437
th
Ave. No. 133, St. Petersburg, FL 33704, USA) we had
mentioned before. This analysis system permits to get different kinds of fractal
calculations (fractal dimensions).
We chose three characteristics to be studied because it seems to be specifically useful to
the understanding of the dynamics we were studying. These three methods are:
a) Box Dimension;
b) Information Dimension and
c) Mass Dimension. In each case we get too the Y value.
The three methods belong to self-similar pattern x analysis, and can be better
understood if we pay attention to some of the relevant aspects: first, if we begin using
some important aspects of chaos theory, actually in this case the use of concepts like
order can help us to look at the fundamental tasks of this work and, second: fractals
are in fact the geometry of chaos, but a special kind of chaos in which order emerges
with laws governing the description of the system.
Starting from the properties of a fractal as the principles that make reference to its
own characteristics like:
1. The value of its dimension, that is between 1 and 2 depending on the occupied space
and the dynamic (Hausdorff dimension).
FRACTAL GEOMETRY AT MESOAMERICA 209
2. Self similarity is another characteristic that means that the form does not change
when the scale does, but that becomes more and more complex (complexity) in the non-
linear fractals, especially the 2 nearest values.
3. The self-similarity in fact mathematically means a potential relation between the size
and the measurement or scale.
4. Its dimension is fractional or fractal and non-Euclidean.
5. They have an infinite longitude. The data set has scale invariance characteristics and
exhibits a fractional motion with statistical properties in a curve with a scaling factor
between 1 and 2 (Hurst exponent). This scale invariance can be tested studying the set
in many length scales, which can be done with the Benoit Fractal Analysis System
that we used to get the information about the figures to verify first if they were or were
not possible fractals, their fractal dimensions and get the exponent and try to see if this
is a pattern that can be may be recognized like a characteristic marker in the results.
About Dimensions - Box Dimension Estimation Method Interface shows the number
of boxes of linear size x necessary to cover a data set of points distributed in a two-
dimensional plane. In the Benoit program each box and grid rotates 90 degrees size
through dividing to get the minimum value of the x dimension.
Information Dimension Estimation Method Interface assigns weights to the boxes.
These boxes that contain more points or those that contains less, are analyzed from the
point of view of their masses contained in each box (information entropy).
Mass Dimension Estimation Method Interface implicates the number of points inside a
circle around the data set in a two-dimensional plane to define the mass; this can be
measured in circles of increasing radius.
These three methods will reveal first if the set have fractal dimension, and its
complexity degree.
About Y - Fractal dimension is expressed like the slope in the graph. The factor
represents the lagunarity or empty spaces distribution related to those non-empty, and
the exponent represents the fractal dimension.
The graphs a, b and c correspond to Fractal Analysis of the Glyph 14 from Palenque
Palace tablet, respectively Box Dimension (Db), Information Dimension (Di) and Mass
Dimention (Dm).
210 G. BURKLE ELIZONDO
RESULTS
We could summarize our findings in the following order:
1. In all the 106 mesoamerican artistic and architectural images that were analysed we
found fractal dimension, and all were complex, with a Df between 1.8 and 2.0.
2. We find that this is a very close range between the different dimensions of the ten
groups of elements that were analysed. This could mean that this may be a fractal
marker for Mesoamerica measurement (1.92) with the method we used.
3. We find a pattern present in the average of each group, specifically in the more
complex groups. This probably reflects the use of golden units we had mentioned before
that had been reported by other authors.
4. In fact this method of study, the fractals and chaos theory applied to art, history and
ancient scientific culture seems to be a good and interesting tool of complexity theory
for analysis to still studying.
5. We can see about the range we spoke about, that it is at the highest level of
complexity. This could be understood as order emerging from the edge of chaos
critically, which in fact define the concept of complexity.
In Table 2 we can see the Box Dimension (D
b
), Information Dimension (D
i
) and the
Mass Dimension (D
m
) averages by groups of study.
GroupNo. D
b
SD D
i
SD D
m
SD
I 1.9180.010 1.9320.002 2.0180.111
II 1.9230.007 1.9400.001 1.8870.060
III 1.9100.008 1.9030.003 2.0360.088
IV 1.9260.011 1.9330.006 1.9750.010
V 1.9210.008 1.9260.002 1.9370.051
VI 1.9180.009 1.9240.003 2.0380.269
VII 1.9190.006 1.9290.002 1.9640.058
VIII 1.9170.009 1.9140.003 1.9540.053
IX 1.9000.006 1.8770.003 1.9750.047
X 1.8830.013 1.8880.003 1.9660.214
Table 2
FRACTAL GEOMETRY AT MESOAMERICA 211
212 G. BURKLE ELIZONDO
The images of the next page belongs to some of the structures that were studied such as
a Jaguar sculpture from Teotihuacan Mxico with D
b
= 1.9170.003, D
i
= 1.9150.001
and D
m
= 1.9340.017.
The next image belongs to the Stela F from Quirigua Guatemala with D
b
=
= 1.9400.011, D
i
= 1.9300.009 and D
m
= 2.1420.276.
The analysis of the disc of Xochimilco from the Aztec culture at Mxico shows a D
b
=
= 1.90080.0075, D
i
= 1.8740.003 and a D
m
= 1.9940.048.
These are some examples about the results that we got in our study.
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AND COMMENTS
It is very interesting to discover that for all the 106 cases that were studied of
mesoamerican culture images, all of them have Fractal Dimension. Some of these
belong to those kinds of fractals or fractal geometry that can be discovered at first sight
in its proportions and its dimensions, and are in general figures that imitate the natures
aesthetics in some way.
Others have greater complexity, maybe because its self-similarity or self-affinity is
statistic and anisotropic just as real objects are.
In both cases that we found out there could be some kind of metapatterns that need to be
understood better.
It is necessary to make more studies to get conclusions, but with the information we
gathered, we think that there undoubtedly existed a mathematical system and a deep
geometrical development in mesoamerican art and architecture, and that they used
patterns and golden units.
We also think that these wise men used complex mathematics to make their works,
maybe non-linear and chaotic, trying to imitate the movements in the sky and the
complexity of the natures phenomena to establish some kind of similitude from this
side, and the world were the gods live, trying then to understand in a holy way their
designs and random wishes.
FRACTAL GEOMETRY AT MESOAMERICA 213
214 G. BURKLE ELIZONDO
They needed to get the best possible information about the world, the universe, the
implied order that exists between them and the sacred cosmos that governed their
uncertain lives.
Dr. Joana Broda (1991, p. XII) says that in the archaic past, the science was historically
determinate in civilizations that, like now, assumed science like a part of a social
whole.
The use of fractals and chaos theory as a tool to study history for certain will open new
doors of understanding between social sciences and things that we perhaps can not
imagine now.
In his book Metapatterns, Tyler Volk (1995, p. 206) asks the following metaphoric
idea: Are boarding crossings in space the inevitable tool for portraying times breaks
in diagrams and myths?.
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