Megalithic yard: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
looks like a personal website, WP:SPS rather than WP:RS
Kapraff, Macaulay, Fernie, Broadbent and Kendall to go play with
Line 1: Line 1:
A '''Megalithic Yard''' is a unit of measurement that some researchers believe was used in the construction of [[megalithic]] structures. The proposal is credited as the discovery of [[Alexander Thom]] during his surveys of 600 megalithic sites in [[England]], [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] and [[Britanny]] who determined its length at {{convert|8.2966|m|ft}}.<ref name="Information1964">{{cite book|author=Alexander Thom|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> [[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>{{full}} Knight and Lomas claim, based on the work of Euan MacKie, 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="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=203–206}}</ref> It has also been suggested that it is the diagonal of a rectangle measuring 2 by 1 [[Remen]]s.<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 name="Michell1978">{{cite book|author=John Michell|title=City of Revelation: On the Proportion and Symbolic Numbers of the Cosmic Temple|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=MHfubwAACAAJ|accessdate=22 April 2011|year=1978|publisher=Abacus|isbn=9780349123219}}</ref>
A '''Megalithic Yard''' is a unit of measurement that some researchers believe was used in the construction of [[megalithic]] structures. The proposal is credited as the discovery of [[Alexander Thom]] during his surveys of 600 megalithic sites in [[England]], [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] and [[Britanny]] who determined its length at {{convert|8.2966|m|ft}}.<ref name="Information1964">{{cite book|author=Alexander Thom|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> [[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>{{full}} Knight and Lomas claim, based on the work of Euan MacKie, S. R. Broadbent and D.G. Kendall, 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="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 2001publisher=Fair Winds|isbn=9781931412742|pages=203–206}}</ref> Anne Macaulay has noted that similariity between the Megalithic Yard and the ancient Indus short yard and the [[Sumerian]] ''Shusti'', both of {{convert|33|in|m}}.<ref name="Kappraff2002">{{cite book|author=Jay Kappraff|title=Beyond measure: a guided tour through nature, myth, and number|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=vAfBrK678_kC&pg=PA237|accessdate=22 April 2011|year=2002|publisher=World Scientific|isbn=9789810247027|pages=237–}}</ref> E. Fernie also reported that a larger measure devised by Thom the ''Megalithic Rod'' of 2.5 Megalithic Yards is equal to the ''[[Ancient Greece|Greek]] fathom'' from studies of the [[Met Relief Michaelis]] in the [[Ashmolean Museum]], [[Oxford]].<ref name="Kappraff2002"/> It has also been suggested that it is the diagonal of a rectangle measuring 2 by 1 [[Remen]]s.<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 name="Michell1978">{{cite book|author=John Michell|title=City of Revelation: On the Proportion and Symbolic Numbers of the Cosmic Temple|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=MHfubwAACAAJ|accessdate=22 April 2011|year=1978|publisher=Abacus|isbn=9780349123219}}</ref>


Clive Ruggles has said that both classical and Bayesian statistical reassessments of Thom's date "reached the conclusion that the evidence in favour of the MY was at best marginal, and that even if it does exist the uncertainty in our knowledge of its value is of the order of centimetres, far greater than the 1mm precision claimed by Thom. In other words, the evidence presented by Thom could be
Clive Ruggles has said that both classical and Bayesian statistical reassessments of Thom's date "reached the conclusion that the evidence in favour of the MY was at best marginal, and that even if it does exist the uncertainty in our knowledge of its value is of the order of centimetres, far greater than the 1mm precision claimed by Thom. In other words, the evidence presented by Thom could be

Revision as of 18:25, 22 April 2011

A Megalithic Yard is a unit of measurement that some researchers believe was used in the construction of megalithic structures. The proposal is credited as the discovery of Alexander Thom during his surveys of 600 megalithic sites in England, Scotland, Wales and Britanny who determined its length at 8.2966 metres (27.220 ft).[1][2] It was initially regarded as a fringe claim that was ignored and appeared unbelievable to traditional archaeologists.[3] Colin Renfrew reviewed Thom's work and observed arrangements of megaliths in full integers or exact halves of the megalithic yard.[4][full citation needed] Knight and Lomas claim, based on the work of Euan MacKie, S. R. Broadbent and D.G. Kendall, 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.[5] Anne Macaulay has noted that similariity between the Megalithic Yard and the ancient Indus short yard and the Sumerian Shusti, both of 33 inches (0.84 m).[6] E. Fernie also reported that a larger measure devised by Thom the Megalithic Rod of 2.5 Megalithic Yards is equal to the Greek fathom from studies of the Met Relief Michaelis in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.[6] It has also been suggested that it is the diagonal of a rectangle measuring 2 by 1 Remens.[7][8]

Clive Ruggles has said that both classical and Bayesian statistical reassessments of Thom's date "reached the conclusion that the evidence in favour of the MY was at best marginal, and that even if it does exist the uncertainty in our knowledge of its value is of the order of centimetres, far greater than the 1mm precision claimed by Thom. In other words, the evidence presented by Thom could be adequately explained by, say, monuments being set out by pacing, with the 'unit' reflecting an average length of pace."[9]

Douglas Heggie casts doubt on this as well, stating that his careful analysis uncovered "little evidence for a highly accurate unit" and "little justification for the claim that a highly accurate unit was in use".[10] Margaret Ponting has suggested that artefacts such as the Dalmore Bone found in Callanish and beads found at Patrickholme, Lanarkshire in Scotland have shown some evidence of being measuring rods based on the Megalithic Yard in Britain.[11]

Thom remarked

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.[12]

References

  1. ^ Alexander Thom (12 March 1964). New Scientist. Reed Business Information. pp. 690–. ISSN 02624079 Parameter error in {{issn}}: Invalid ISSN.. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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)
  4. ^ Colin Renfrew (1990). Before civilization: the radiocarbon revolution and prehistoric Europe. Penguin. ISBN 9780140136425. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  5. ^ Christopher Knight; Robert Lomas (1 August 2001publisher=Fair Winds). Uriel's Machine. pp. 203–206. ISBN 9781931412742. Retrieved 19 April 2011. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ a b Jay Kappraff (2002). Beyond measure: a guided tour through nature, myth, and number. World Scientific. pp. 237–. ISBN 9789810247027. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  7. ^ I. Angell (1979). The Megalithic yard. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  8. ^ John Michell (1978). City of Revelation: On the Proportion and Symbolic Numbers of the Cosmic Temple. Abacus. ISBN 9780349123219. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  9. ^ Ruggles, Clive (1999). Astronomy in Prehistoric Britain and Ireland. Yale University Press. p. 83. ISBN 978-0300078145.
  10. ^ Heggie, Douglas C. (1981). Megalithic Science: Ancient Mathematics and Astronomy in North-west Europe. Thames and Hudson. p. 58. ISBN 0-50005036-8.
  11. ^ Margaret Ponting (13 February 2003). "Megalithic Callanish". In Clive Ruggles (ed.). Records in Stone: Papers in Memory of Alexander Thom. Cambridge University Press. pp. 423–441. ISBN 9780521531306. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  12. ^ A. Thom (1976). Megalithic sites in Britain, p. 43. Clarendon. Retrieved 6 April 2011.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Megalithic_yard&oldid=425376917"