Megalithic yard: Difference between revisions

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A '''Megalithic Yard''' is the diagonal of a rectangle measuring 2 by 1 Remens.<ref name="Ivimy1975">{{cite book|author=John Ivimy|title=The Sphinx & the megaliths, p. 133|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=8AN9AAAAMAAJ|accessdate=6 April 2011|date=September 1975|publisher=Harper & Row|isbn=9780060121525}}</ref><ref name="Angell1979">{{cite book|author=I. Angell|title=The Megalithic yard|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=0u8sSQAACAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1979}}</ref><ref>0.37 x √5 = 0.827</ref>
A '''Megalithic Yard''' is the diagonal of a rectangle measuring 2 by 1 Remens.<ref name="Ivimy1975">{{cite book|author=John Ivimy|title=The Sphinx & the megaliths, p. 133|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=8AN9AAAAMAAJ|accessdate=6 April 2011|date=September 1975|publisher=Harper & Row|isbn=9780060121525}}</ref><ref name="Angell1979">{{cite book|author=I. Angell|title=The Megalithic yard|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=0u8sSQAACAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1979}}</ref><ref>0.37 x √5 = 0.827</ref>


The megalithic yard is credited as the discovery of Professor [[Alexander Thom]] during his surveys of 600 megalithic sites in [[England]], [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] and [[Britanny]] who determined it's length at {{convert|8.2966|m|ft}}.<ref name="Information1964">{{cite book|author=Reed Business Information|title=New Scientist|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=c2iCzjpnd4EC&pg=PA690|accessdate=19 April 2011|date=12 March 1964|publisher=Reed Business Information|pages=690–|id={{ISSN|02624079}}}}</ref><ref name="Thom1995">{{cite book|author=Archibald Stevenson Thom|title=Walking in all of the squares: a biography of Alexander Thom : engineer, archaeoastronomer, discoverer of a prehistoric calendar, the geometry of stone rings and megalithic measurement|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=o0HbAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1995|publisher=Argyll Pub.|isbn=9781874640660}}</ref> It was initially regarded as a fringe claim that was ignored and appeared unbelievable to traditional archaeologists.<ref name="KendallHodson1974">{{cite book|author1=David George Kendall|author2=F. R. Hodson|author3=Royal Society (Great Britain)|coauthors=British Academy|title=The Place of astronomy in the ancient world: a joint symposium of the Royal Society and the British Academy|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=FHLvAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1974|publisher=Oxford University Press for the British Academy}}</ref> Objective studies by statisticians have now established it as a fully accepted unit of measurement.<ref name="Heggie1981">{{cite book|author=D. C. Heggie|title=Megalithic science: ancient mathematics and astronomy in north-west Europe|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=W2yBQgAACAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1981|publisher=Thames and Hudson|isbn=9780500050361}}</ref><ref name="Heggie2009">{{cite book|author=D. C. Heggie|title=Archaeoastronomy in the Old World|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Tt0Va7OotD4C&pg=PA125|accessdate=19 April 2011|date=17 December 2009|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521125307|pages=125–}}</ref><ref name="Information1976">{{cite book|author=Reed Business Information|title=New Scientist|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=onkTIFMMSJAC&pg=PA119|accessdate=19 April 2011|date=14 October 1976|publisher=Reed Business Information|pages=119–|id={{ISSN|02624079}}}}</ref><ref name="KnightLomas2001">{{cite book|author1=Christopher Knight|author2=Robert Lomas|title=Uriel's Machine|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Ec0FIU94I4YC&pg=PA203|accessdate=19 April 2011|date=1 August 2001|publisher=Fair Winds|isbn=9781931412742|pages=203–}}</ref> [[Colin Renfrew]] reviewed Thom's work and observed arrangements of [[megaliths]] in full integers or exact halves of the megalithic yard.<ref name="Renfrew1990">{{cite book|author=Colin Renfrew|title=Before civilization: the radiocarbon revolution and prehistoric Europe|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=jJhHPgAACAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1990|publisher=Penguin|isbn=9780140136425}}</ref> Euan Mackie also noted that the ancient Indian measurement of the ''gaz'' was the same as the megalithic yard to an accuracy of one percent, along with the Iberian ''vera'', which showed a difference of less than half a percent.<ref name="MacKie1977">{{cite book|author=Euan Wallace MacKie|title=The megalith builders|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=7gOBAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1977|publisher=Phaidon}}</ref>
The megalithic yard is credited as the discovery of Professor [[Alexander Thom]] during his surveys of 600 megalithic sites in [[England]], [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] and [[Britanny]] who determined it's length at {{convert|8.2966|m|ft}}.<ref name="Information1964">{{cite book|author=Reed Business Information|title=New Scientist|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=c2iCzjpnd4EC&pg=PA690|accessdate=19 April 2011|date=12 March 1964|publisher=Reed Business Information|pages=690–|id={{ISSN|02624079}}}}</ref><ref name="Thom1995">{{cite book|author=Archibald Stevenson Thom|title=Walking in all of the squares: a biography of Alexander Thom : engineer, archaeoastronomer, discoverer of a prehistoric calendar, the geometry of stone rings and megalithic measurement|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=o0HbAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1995|publisher=Argyll Pub.|isbn=9781874640660}}</ref> It was initially regarded as a fringe claim that was ignored and appeared unbelievable to traditional archaeologists.<ref name="KendallHodson1974">{{cite book|author1=David George Kendall|author2=F. R. Hodson|author3=Royal Society (Great Britain)|coauthors=British Academy|title=The Place of astronomy in the ancient world: a joint symposium of the Royal Society and the British Academy|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=FHLvAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1974|publisher=Oxford University Press for the British Academy}}</ref> Objective studies by statisticians have now established it as a fully accepted unit of measurement.<ref name="Heggie1981">{{cite book|author=D. C. Heggie|title=Megalithic science: ancient mathematics and astronomy in north-west Europe|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=W2yBQgAACAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1981|publisher=Thames and Hudson|isbn=9780500050361}}</ref><ref name="KnightLomas2001">{{cite book|author1=Christopher Knight|author2=Robert Lomas|title=Uriel's Machine|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Ec0FIU94I4YC&pg=PA203|accessdate=19 April 2011|date=1 August 2001|publisher=Fair Winds|isbn=9781931412742|pages=203–}}</ref> [[Colin Renfrew]] reviewed Thom's work and observed arrangements of [[megaliths]] in full integers or exact halves of the megalithic yard.<ref name="Renfrew1990">{{cite book|author=Colin Renfrew|title=Before civilization: the radiocarbon revolution and prehistoric Europe|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=jJhHPgAACAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1990|publisher=Penguin|isbn=9780140136425}}</ref> Euan Mackie also noted that the ancient Indian measurement of the ''gaz'' was the same as the megalithic yard to an accuracy of one percent, along with the Iberian ''vera'', which showed a difference of less than half a percent.<ref name="MacKie1977">{{cite book|author=Euan Wallace MacKie|title=The megalith builders|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=7gOBAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=19 April 2011|year=1977|publisher=Phaidon}}</ref>


Artifacts such as the [[Dalmore Bone]] found in [[Callanish]] and beads found at [[Patrickholme]], [[Lanarkshire]] in [[Scotland]] have have shown some evidence of being measuring rods based on the Megalithic Yard in [[Britain]].<ref name="Ruggles2003">{{cite book|author=Clive Ruggles|title=Records in Stone: Papers in Memory of Alexander Thom|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=oZ3JGYd1kJoC&pg=PA147|accessdate=19 April 2011|date=13 February 2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521531306|pages=147–}}</ref>
Artifacts such as the [[Dalmore Bone]] found in [[Callanish]] and beads found at [[Patrickholme]], [[Lanarkshire]] in [[Scotland]] have have shown some evidence of being measuring rods based on the Megalithic Yard in [[Britain]].<ref name="Ruggles2003">{{cite book|author=Clive Ruggles|title=Records in Stone: Papers in Memory of Alexander Thom|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=oZ3JGYd1kJoC&pg=PA147|accessdate=19 April 2011|date=13 February 2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521531306|pages=147–}}</ref>

Revision as of 05:07, 21 April 2011

A Megalithic Yard is the diagonal of a rectangle measuring 2 by 1 Remens.[1][2][3]

The megalithic yard is credited as the discovery of Professor Alexander Thom during his surveys of 600 megalithic sites in England, Scotland, Wales and Britanny who determined it's length at 8.2966 metres (27.220 ft).[4][5] It was initially regarded as a fringe claim that was ignored and appeared unbelievable to traditional archaeologists.[6] Objective studies by statisticians have now established it as a fully accepted unit of measurement.[7][8] Colin Renfrew reviewed Thom's work and observed arrangements of megaliths in full integers or exact halves of the megalithic yard.[9] Euan Mackie also noted that the ancient Indian measurement of the gaz was the same as the megalithic yard to an accuracy of one percent, along with the Iberian vera, which showed a difference of less than half a percent.[10]

Artifacts such as the Dalmore Bone found in Callanish and beads found at Patrickholme, Lanarkshire in Scotland have have shown some evidence of being measuring rods based on the Megalithic Yard in Britain.[11]

The length of the measuring rod used for 145 stone circles in Britain has been suggested to be one Megalithic Yard of appoximately 827.54 mm.[12] This suggests that 145 stone circles in Britain were designed and constructed to an Egyptian measurement system.[1]

This has led Professor Alexander Thom to remark

There must have been a headquarters from which standard rods were sent out but whether this was in these islands or on the Continent the present investigation cannot determine.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b John Ivimy (September 1975). The Sphinx & the megaliths, p. 133. Harper & Row. ISBN 9780060121525. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  2. ^ I. Angell (1979). The Megalithic yard. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  3. ^ 0.37 x √5 = 0.827
  4. ^ Reed Business Information (12 March 1964). New Scientist. Reed Business Information. pp. 690–. ISSN 02624079 Parameter error in {{issn}}: Invalid ISSN.. Retrieved 19 April 2011. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ Archibald Stevenson Thom (1995). Walking in all of the squares: a biography of Alexander Thom : engineer, archaeoastronomer, discoverer of a prehistoric calendar, the geometry of stone rings and megalithic measurement. Argyll Pub. ISBN 9781874640660. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  6. ^ David George Kendall; F. R. Hodson; Royal Society (Great Britain) (1974). The Place of astronomy in the ancient world: a joint symposium of the Royal Society and the British Academy. Oxford University Press for the British Academy. Retrieved 19 April 2011. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ D. C. Heggie (1981). Megalithic science: ancient mathematics and astronomy in north-west Europe. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 9780500050361. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  8. ^ Christopher Knight; Robert Lomas (1 August 2001). Uriel's Machine. Fair Winds. pp. 203–. ISBN 9781931412742. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  9. ^ Colin Renfrew (1990). Before civilization: the radiocarbon revolution and prehistoric Europe. Penguin. ISBN 9780140136425. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  10. ^ Euan Wallace MacKie (1977). The megalith builders. Phaidon. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  11. ^ Clive Ruggles (13 February 2003). Records in Stone: Papers in Memory of Alexander Thom. Cambridge University Press. pp. 147–. ISBN 9780521531306. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  12. ^ Stephen Skinner (3 March 2009). Sacred Geometry: Deciphering the Code, p. 104. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. pp. 105–. ISBN 9781402765827. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  13. ^ A. Thom (1976). Megalithic sites in Britain, p. 43. Clarendon. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
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