Ancient Wisdom
Dresden Codex. Dresden: the city that has held it since 1739. Codex: a book: 39 bark leaves, folded like a screen, written in North America centuries before the United States existed. It is one of the oldest books written in the Americas.
The makers of the Dresden Codex observed, assessed, and worked out what would happen next, early enough to act on it.
Most of its pages look ahead. Its makers tracked Venus, predicted eclipses, and marked which days would favor planting, trade or war. Some 700 years later, it is the work we do for the United States and her allies: intelligence analysis, prediction and targeting.
Intelligence analysis
Then
They watched the sky for years, measured what they saw, and corrected their own tables.
Now
We tighten the intelligence cycle, turning every source into an accurate picture that stays current.
Prediction
Then
They forecast Venus and eclipses decades ahead, and marked what each coming day would bring.
Targeting
Then
Their almanacs marked the right day to act, and warned when war was feared.
Now
We speed the targeting cycle and plan the courses of action that win, so commanders act before the enemy can react.
01 · Observed
They tracked Venus for years and put its cycle at 584 days.
Measured today, it is 583.92 days. Watching the sky by eye, they were off by less than two hours.
Today · Intelligence analysis
The codex · The Venus table
One cycle of Venus, to scale · 584 days
236
Morning star
90
Unseen
250
Evening star
8
Unseen
02 · Assessed
They corrected their own forecasts before small errors could grow.
Each eclipse table ran about 33 years. They didn’t wait for it to run out: a fresh table started partway through, so small slips never piled up.
Today · Intelligence analysis
The codex · The eclipse tables
One eclipse table · about 33 years
Next table starts at year 29
03 · What would happen next
They worked out what was coming: which days would favor planting, trade or war.
Its almanacs told farmers what offering would bring the rain, marked a good day for merchants, and warned when war was feared.
Today · Prediction
The codex · The almanacs
Planting
Chaak, the rain god
Trade
God M, the merchant god
War
Venus as the morning star
Planting: Chaak, the rain god — where he is, and what offering brings the rain. Trade: God M, the merchant god — appears once, as a good sign. War: Venus as the morning star — feared: a war god, spears drawn.
04 · Early enough to act
Their forecasts ran decades ahead, early enough to prepare.
The Venus table looked 104 years ahead. Restarted in turn, the eclipse tables stayed accurate for more than 700 years.
Today · Targeting
The codex · How far ahead the tables ran
Venus table
104 years
One eclipse table
About 33 years
Eclipse tables, restarted in turn
About 700 years
The book itself
Some 700 years on, it is still here.
Before the conquest
Painted on fig-bark paper in North America, by eight scribes.
1739
Bought in Vienna for the Royal Library at Dresden.
1945
It survives the American and British bombing of Dresden, water-damaged in a flooded basement.
Today
Held by the Saxon State and University Library, Dresden.
Protecting the United States and her allies