Recovery of the ancient system of foot/cubit/stadion : length units
Lelgemann, Dieter
Statistical investigations of the length of nearly 870 collected metrological yard sticks have shown that their lengths can be assigned to about 30 length units; those length units can be derived back, using simple integer relations handed down from ancient times, to one basic unit, the so-called Nippur cubit = 518,5mm. Based on geometrical relations "ideal" lengths for all ancient cubit/feet-units will be derived and compared with mean values of the length of collected yard sticks. This system of ancient length units may be of interest to all concerned with the surveying of archaeological sites and buildings. The definition of the ancient length unit "stadion" is 1 stadion = 600 feet. The foot units of yet existing archelogical stadion sites will be identified. For example, the length of the stadion in Olympia (192,27m) is based on the so-called Remen of the old egyptian trade cubit OTC derived from the egyptian royal cubit (ORC = 523,75mm) : OTC = (24/28) ORC = 448,9mm, Remen OTC = (20/28) OTC = 320,7mm, "ideal" length of the stadion in Olympia = 600 Remen OTC = 192,4m.
Event: FIG Working Week 2004 : Breathing the Olympic Spirit
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