For interest and comment.
From The Roots of Ancient India, The Archaeology of Early Indian Civilisation, second edition, revised by Walter Fairservis Jr (1975)
...linear measurement was apparently well standardised. Mackay by good fortune found a piece of shell marked in regular fashion and quite clearly intended as a rule. Nine divisions remain, and from circular markings at two places five units apart it would appear that a decimal system was in vogue. Each division is approx. 0.264 inches wide, or a five-unit total of 1.32 inches. Tus a foot in decimal system would bd 13.2inches.
Ernest Moyer quotes on the rods which Petrie found in Egypt. His reference Weights and Meaures, Flinders Petrie, Aris and Phillips, Ltd, Warminister, England, 1926'
For the purpose of this short essay I have chosen from Item# 12 Quote 'Petrie then lists broken or irregular rod with various digits and lengths'
Petrie gives 8 examples he breaks it down into.
Illustration # of digits rod length and mean digit length. I have decided not to cut and paste this as I would like to add notes of my own and will use brackets to indicate.
A.....6 (6 digits)..... 4.35-4.4 (inches in length)..... mean digit 0.738 (18.7452mm)
B..... 8 digit..... 5.8-5.9..... "..... " 0.731 ((18.5674mm)
C..... 10 digits..... 7.3-7.4..... "..... " 0.735 (18.669mm)
D..... 12-13 digits..... 8.7-9.6..... "..... " 0.725-0.738 (18.415-18.7452mm)
E..... 15 digits..... 10.9-11.1..... "..... " 0.733 (18.6182mm)
F..... 18 digits..... 13.1-13.3..... "..... " 0.733 (18.6182mm)
G..... 19 digits..... 13.9-14.0..... "..... " 0.734 (18.6436)
H..... 22-2..... 15.2-16.6..... "..... " 0.691-0.704 (17.5514-17.8816)
A short explanation on what is happening, as I am sure all can see the regularity of the digits around 0.733.
In the early Saxon system of measure there are 2 major smaller measures within the foot of 13.2 inches. There is the span 8.8 inches (22.352cm an the Great Span 9.9 inches (25.146cm).The span 2/3 of a foot the great span 3/4 of the foot.
The span is a hand held somewhat like a stop sign hand held up finders together and thumb stretched, a great span is hand held up with fingers and thumb stretched.
The digits Petrie has identified 0.733333 x 12 = 8.8 inches a span in example F there are 12 digits in a span and 18 in a foot 13.2 inches.
Jim
copyrightCjimwakefield2019
From The Roots of Ancient India, The Archaeology of Early Indian Civilisation, second edition, revised by Walter Fairservis Jr (1975)
...linear measurement was apparently well standardised. Mackay by good fortune found a piece of shell marked in regular fashion and quite clearly intended as a rule. Nine divisions remain, and from circular markings at two places five units apart it would appear that a decimal system was in vogue. Each division is approx. 0.264 inches wide, or a five-unit total of 1.32 inches. Tus a foot in decimal system would bd 13.2inches.
Ernest Moyer quotes on the rods which Petrie found in Egypt. His reference Weights and Meaures, Flinders Petrie, Aris and Phillips, Ltd, Warminister, England, 1926'
For the purpose of this short essay I have chosen from Item# 12 Quote 'Petrie then lists broken or irregular rod with various digits and lengths'
Petrie gives 8 examples he breaks it down into.
Illustration # of digits rod length and mean digit length. I have decided not to cut and paste this as I would like to add notes of my own and will use brackets to indicate.
A.....6 (6 digits)..... 4.35-4.4 (inches in length)..... mean digit 0.738 (18.7452mm)
B..... 8 digit..... 5.8-5.9..... "..... " 0.731 ((18.5674mm)
C..... 10 digits..... 7.3-7.4..... "..... " 0.735 (18.669mm)
D..... 12-13 digits..... 8.7-9.6..... "..... " 0.725-0.738 (18.415-18.7452mm)
E..... 15 digits..... 10.9-11.1..... "..... " 0.733 (18.6182mm)
F..... 18 digits..... 13.1-13.3..... "..... " 0.733 (18.6182mm)
G..... 19 digits..... 13.9-14.0..... "..... " 0.734 (18.6436)
H..... 22-2..... 15.2-16.6..... "..... " 0.691-0.704 (17.5514-17.8816)
A short explanation on what is happening, as I am sure all can see the regularity of the digits around 0.733.
In the early Saxon system of measure there are 2 major smaller measures within the foot of 13.2 inches. There is the span 8.8 inches (22.352cm an the Great Span 9.9 inches (25.146cm).The span 2/3 of a foot the great span 3/4 of the foot.
The span is a hand held somewhat like a stop sign hand held up finders together and thumb stretched, a great span is hand held up with fingers and thumb stretched.
The digits Petrie has identified 0.733333 x 12 = 8.8 inches a span in example F there are 12 digits in a span and 18 in a foot 13.2 inches.
Jim
copyrightCjimwakefield2019