Megalithic yard: Difference between revisions

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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"></ref> It has also been suggested that it is the diagonal of a rectangle measuring 2 by 1 [[Remen]]s.<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>{{Verify credibility|date=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 {{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"></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>{{Verify credibility|date=April 2011}}


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
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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>


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.<ref name="Skinner2009">{{cite book|author=Stephen Skinner|title=Sacred Geometry: Deciphering the Code, p. 104|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=gTk9Ol9_MjYC&pg=PA105|accessdate=6 April 2011|date=3 March 2009|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.|isbn=9781402765827|pages=105–}}</ref> This suggests that 145 stone circles in [[Britain]] were designed and constructed to an [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] measurement system.<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>
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.<ref name="Skinner2009">{{cite book|author=Stephen Skinner|title=Sacred Geometry: Deciphering the Code, p. 104|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=gTk9Ol9_MjYC&pg=PA105|accessdate=6 April 2011|date=3 March 2009|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.|isbn=9781402765827|pages=105–}}</ref> This suggests that 145 stone circles in [[Britain]] were designed and constructed to an [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] measurement system.


This led Thom to remark
This led Thom to remark

Revision as of 17:52, 21 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, 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] It has also been suggested that it is the diagonal of a rectangle measuring 2 by 1 Remens.[6][unreliable source?]

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."[7]

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".[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] This suggests that 145 stone circles in Britain were designed and constructed to an Egyptian measurement system.

This led 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.[11]

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. ^ Cite error: The named reference KnightLomas2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ I. Angell (1979). The Megalithic yard. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  7. ^ Ruggles, Clive (1999). Astronomy in Prehistoric Britain and Ireland. Yale University Press. p. 83. ISBN 978-0300078145.
  8. ^ Heggie, Douglas C. (1981). Megalithic Science: Ancient Mathematics and Astronomy in North-west Europe. Thames and Hudson. p. 58. ISBN 0-50005036-8.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ Stephen Skinner (3 March 2009). Sacred Geometry: Deciphering the Code, p. 104. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. pp. 105–. ISBN 9781402765827. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  11. ^ A. Thom (1976). Megalithic sites in Britain, p. 43. Clarendon. Retrieved 6 April 2011.

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