Weaving Mathematics into Basket Construction

June 15, 2009

Basketry—the making of receptacles from interwoven materials—relies on relationships among numbers and depends on patterns, symmetry, and structure. Basketry may also have played a part in how humans learned to count.

To make a convincing case for the historical and cultural significance of basketry, including its connections to mathematics, researchers recently gathered at the University of East Anglia (Norwich, U.K.) to inaugurate a project titled "Beyond the Basket: Construction, Order and Understanding."

Project director Sandy Heslop (UEA) noted, "Beyond its practical uses, basketry has arguably been even more influential on our lives, since it relies on the relationship of number, pattern, and structure. It therefore provides a model for disciplines such as mathematics and engineering and for the organization of social and political life."

The endeavor, which is slated to take two-and-a-half years, will delve into the development and use of basketry over ten millennia. Subjects of study include basket design, construction, and production; the mathematics of basketry; environmental issues; commercial and historical perspectives; weaving in architecture; and anthropological and archaeological topics.

The researchers hope to mount an exhibit—math and all—and publish a book in 2011, but not before they have reviewed existing literature and mathematics; studied museum collections and unpublished materials; engaged in anthropological fieldwork; filmed the making and use of basketry around the world; and analyzed and documented commissioned work.

Source: University of East Anglia, June 5, 2009.