MJ Thomas Wrote:
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> fmetrol Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > MJ
> >
> > Unfortunately I don't associate MK or NK rods
> with
> > OK measure, Because none have been found I
> thought
> > it advisable to look for other alternative
> ways to
> > measure during this period. In fact I think
> early
> > measuring rods are entirely absent from the
> > historical record wherever you look.
>
> Hello Graham,
>
> That the OK builders used measuring devices of
> some description is, as I am sure you will agree,
> a self-evident fact.
Yes, I think the small divisions of measure Petrie recorded for his Giza tomb grids demands some wooden devise but not necessarily anything recognisable as we know it.
>
> Question one: what material or materials were
> these devices made of?
> Rope of any description is, IMO, unlikely because
> of its propensity to stretch.
> This leaves us with rods of wood or stone.
> Wood is more practical because it is less likely
> to fracture than limestone or granite - a lot
> easier to lug around as well, I imagine.
> Only problem is wood does not normally last for
> very long.
> Might this explain the apparent absence of
> measuring rods in the OK?
Wooden rods that old would disintegrate I suppose. They may have also been valued and handed into the overseer on a regular basis. Perhaps there weren't many to begin with.
Alternatively we have the human armspan, the arm'slength and 3 very good fingers of more or less uniform width for measuring. All three measures can be standardized.
> Question two: what was the base unit of the
> measuring rod?
> Well, as you know, I adhere strongly to the view
> that initially the AEs had as their base unit the
> standard cubit consisting of 6 palms (24 digits),
> which was derived from the elbow to the tip of the
> middle finger (as seemingly evidenced by the
> hieroglyph for the cubit).
> I then adopt the argument that at or shortly
> before the time of Sneferu (?) the standard cubit
> of 6 palms was increased by 1 palm (4 digits) to 7
> palms (28 digits) to become what we know as the
> royal cubit.
Yes again. The common cubit of an arm's length, IMO, was the earliest. The royal is an addition but then Herodotus said the larger cubits of the old world were 3 finger-breadths longer so we have a contradiction to begin with although if you look carefully at the 18th dynasty rods we see these additional 3 finger-breadths clearly set out at the end of the rod.
In fact there are many multiples of three on these rods. I think I posted the drawings previously.
> While I think of it.
> If memory serves, C Wayne has suggested that the
> careful laying of rods end to end could explain
> the seeming accuracy of the base of Khufu’s
> pyramid (with apologies to CW if my memory is
> incorrect).
I disagree for experiments have concluded that such a method gives varying results every time. The experiment was done by the grandson of Alexander Thom who gave us the MY. Thom knew the result before the experiment was conducted but went along with it for obvious reasons. Slippage results in very poor readings. Can you imagine the slippage over 9000 feet? The tragedy is that it occurs even on level ground.
Graham
