Chapter 2 – Circles
Map
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1.19
Timeline
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1.19
Introduction
The circle is a basic shape and a simple plane figure. But, it is a mysterious shape. There is something fantastical about the circle that we perceive on a subconscious level. Circular shapes are foundational geometrical creations of the universe that instill a sense of order, safety, and beauty in all who observe them.
The importance of circles to human cultures is highlighted in many places, including some you might not expect, such as language. When we refer to our close friends, we say “circle of friends.” The word encyclopedia comes from ancient Greek words for “circle of learning.” Even the fundamental nature of reality demands our attention to circular patterns. For example, if a group of people speak with each other, they are inclined to be face to face in a circle, not a line, or a polygon, or a rectangle. In sacred Indigenous ceremonies, talking circles were typically used to create a structure where each person’s voice is given equal importance.
Most of the early settlements, villages, and cities have followed circular arrangements. Coliseums, circuses, theaters, concert halls, stadiums, and even many present-day and ancient cities and settlements use circles as a blueprint for their design. Try to visualize how a circular layout of homes could forge a strong sense of unity for its inhabitants, as well as serve as protection against danger from all directions. Such circular planning was applied in ancient cities like Arkaim in the Southern Urals of Russia, the round city of Darabgerd in Iran, or Teuchitlan in Mexico. Many modern cities also use the same design in the form of a ring-shaped road encircling them; Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Addis Ababa, Lahore, Hyderabad, and Melbourne, to name a few.
If we journey back 11,000 years into prehistory, we yet again witness the importance of circular shapes in architecture.
Pre-ancient inhabitants of what is now Turkey erected a superstructure of massive stone carvings arranged in circles. Despite having not yet developed writing, agriculture, metal tools or pottery, they were nonetheless fixated on demonstrating their inherent desire to replicate the beauty and symmetry of the circle.
What is the reason humans are so fascinated by circles and not squares, rhombuses, and other shapes? Are we drawn to seek out symmetries created by the universe? And, if so, why? Researchers theorize three possible explanations. First, angular shapes like thorns, teeth, and jagged rocks, present threats to our safety, whereas round shapes elicit a sense of safety. Secondly, human beings showcase happy emotions in a curvilinear way – arcing smiles, rounded cheeks. Thirdly, our eyes see the world through a circular frame, and it’s possible we are attracted to aesthetics that blend accordingly with that same shape. Whether it’s supergiant stars, human cells, or subatomic particles like electrons, circular shapes appear throughout the universe on the larg