“This just corroborates Chabad’s argument that we’re paskening from archeology instead of Rishonim, which would be wrong.”
Nev,
Sorry. You are misreading the posts, you should read the write-up that Daas posted in entirely .
In summary –
a) The Curved branches has been the shape that all Klal Yisrael has identified the Menorah with — for the past 2000 yrs plus.
b) There are definitely many Rishonim and Gadolei M’forshei Achronim (Ibn Ezrah, Maseh Choshev etc) supporting it.
c) The very Rambam mentioned can be interpreted in diff ways, that still does not conflict the above mesorah.
d) Archeology supports the above pshatim, the minhag and all Rishonim that uphold that it is indeed curved.
Note – if the Rambam would have been 100% clear that it is diagonally shaped you would have had a point. Now that all evidence points the other way, we assume the pshat in Rambam is not like Chabad understood.