The inch: A prehistoric measure of time?
What if there were no modern linear unit of measure that was not also ancient? The inch, the foot, the yard, the mile, and even the metre, all of these measures may well have prehistoric origins. When we examine the dimensions of ancient sites, from the megaliths of the Atlantic seaboard to the pyramids of Giza, meaningful patterns emerge, not just in their proportions, but in their dimensions too. These patterns can perhaps reveal a connection to astronomy and time cycles when interpreted through these units of measure. This suggests that these units were not arbitrary, but designed to encode advanced knowledge, blending geometry, astronomy, and metrology.
At the heart of this exploration lies the humble inch: a unit still in everyday use in the UK and the US, and to some extent still in other English speaking countries. Astonishingly, this small measure has the power to reveal profound astronomical cycles encoded in the dimensions of ancient structures like those at Carnac in France and Giza in Egypt. When combined with related units, such as the metre and the royal cubit, the inch becomes a bridge connecting us to a prehistoric understanding of solar and lunar cycles, encoded with extraordinary precision in the built environment of our ancestors.
A study of the structures at Giza, for example, shows that both the inch and the metre appear in numbers that align with solar and lunar cycles. These cycles are also expressed in the proportions of the pyramids, making it clear that the units used to measure these structures were deliberately chosen. The inch, derived from solar and lunar time cycles, gives rise to the French metre, as one inch equals 2.54 cm, a conversion rooted in cycles of days and inches, and in the geometry of the circle (254 years, expressed in days, are almost exactly 10 000 π lunations expressed in days, 254 x 365.242199 ≈ 29.53059 x 10 000 π). In turn, the metre gives rise to the Egyptian royal cubit, also through the geometry of the circle: A circle with a diameter of 1 metre has a circumference of 6 Egyptian royal cubits (π / 6 = 0.523599, 0.523599 m = 1 Egyptian royal cubit = 20.614125 inches).
Could such knowledge have existed in prehistory, and could it have been encoded in their architecture? This exploration requires an open mind. It asks us to consider that the architects of these ancient sites possessed a profound understanding of the cosmos, embedding this knowledge in ways that have only become clear through modern tools and mathematics. The evidence from Stonehenge, Le Manio, and other sites points to a sophisticated understanding of geometry and time. This understanding appears to be encoded in specific measures, most strikingly in inches and metres, which act as a bridge between astronomical cycles and human design. This article will focus on the inch.
What are the origins of the inch?
The origins of the inch are unclear. It is used in the USA and the UK, and before the adoption of the metre, it was used in Ireland, in the British empire, and in Russia also.
The inch was present as a background unit in ancient Egypt and can be found expressed in multiples of 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 in various ancient units. One example of this is the tomb of Hesy, , a high Egyptian official of the third dynasty king Neterket (Sa-nekht), from about 2650 BC. Petrie's measurements of a set of units of measure in a mural in this tombshow this.
As Jon Bosak remarks:
(...) the vessels are shown in an exact side view, which makes outside measurements easy, and since all the tomb paintings were drawn life size (as confirmed by depictions of weights elsewhere in the mural, calculations of the weight of which based on size and density of the materials used correspond well to actual weight data), the outside dimensions can be gauged with fair accuracy. (...) The copper measures turn out to form two interleaved series of units, each series exhibiting a binary set of relationships. According to Petrie, one series is based on a unit of 28.8 in³ and the other on a unit of 21.6 in³.
The mural shows a system which was designed in inches, using multiples of 6 and 8, very like the modern imperial system, which is based on 6s and 8s (as well as 2, 10, 12 etc). The inch is present as a background unit in the systems of other ancient cultures. For example the Persian royal cubit is 25.92 inches (6 x 6 x 8 x 9 / 100), the Beit-Lehm cubit is 24.3 inches (3 x 9 x 9 / 10), workers cubits from Mayence, Riga, Sardinia, Amman, Pernau, Florence are all around the 21.6 inch mark (6 x 6 x 6 / 10) , the Persian zer is 18.9 inches (3 x 7 x 9 / 10), the Dera Kesra cubit is 25.2 inches (4 x 7 x 9 / 10), the Attic stadium is 7290 inches (9 x 9 x 9 x 10). The Roman and Egyptian digits are generally thought of as 0.729 inches, the shusi of Babylon and the angula of India are 0.66 inches. Many ancient units depend on a system of multiples of 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 inches.
The Day-inch
The study of metrology, ancient and modern measurement systems, offers insights into how human societies have interpreted and encoded the natural world. From the earliest megalithic structures in Europe to the awe-inspiring pyramids of Egypt, there is a common thread running through ancient designs: the use of measurements tied to astronomical cycles. These measurements, often appearing in the form of the inch, the foot, the yard, and the metre, may seem like modern inventions, but they have deep roots in prehistoric times. Ancient civilisations incorporated celestial and cyclical knowledge into the very foundations of their structures. One of the keys to decoding this knowledge is to read the dimensions of ancient sites, from megalithic remains on the Atlantic seaboard, to the Pyramids of Giza, in inches. This section looks at the work of Robin Heath and Richard Heath at Carnac, and their discovery of the day-inch.
Richard Heath and Robin Heath and the day-inch
Richard Heath and Robin Heath, through their studies of prehistoric monuments such as the megalithic remains at Carnac in France, discovered that these ancient sites were constructed using measurements that aligned with the natural rhythms of the cosmos. They have proposed that the dimensions encoded in these ancient sites were intentionally designed to reflect time cycles, in particular those related to the Sun, Moon, and Earth. The key to this is the inch, which represents a day. The metre and the megalithic yard emerge from this analysis as particular numbers of inches. The findings of Richard Heath and Robin Heath suggest that the units of measurement used in the design and building of the megalithic sites were not arbitrary, but linked to a form of celestial timekeeping, which relied on exact measures, precision, and geometry.
The primary unit of time employed was the day itself. Counting days allowed significant achievements: For example, by good fortune the lunar month can be counted over two whole periods to total 59 days. At 29.53 days, the lunar month is nearly 29 ½ days and this means that two months are 59 days long, to nearly one part in a thousand.(...) An inch measure has many uses, being conveniently small, while larger numbers of them, used in a longer count, generate lengths large enough to construct geometrical structures from which time periods could be compared as ratios.The adoption of a constant length for each day also allowed fractions of a day to be detectable when these counts were employed geometrically; one eighth of an inch would be visible as three of our hours. The resulting system of metrology allowed the cosmic time ratios of the Sun and Moon (within the year) to be extensively studied. This activity appears to have been the precursor for the system of metrology – a system based on ratio - that was inherited as the historical or „classical‟ measures used throughout the world, rationally based by that time on a foot of twelve inches.
Understanding the geometry of megalithic sites is key to grasping the astronomical and calendrical significance of their design. The inch is just one element of the design.
It is only through the adoption of day-inch counting that the lengths within such geometries become meaningful, for then these can be compared with each other. It is necessary to understand what inch-counting can deliver in terms of its astronomical applications and this led to the composition of an itinerary in which earlier steps in inch counting would lead naturally to later and more sophisticated possibilities. These have been found to explain what the megalithic people actually built at Le Manio, a site near Carnac that is unique in its design.
Crucially, Richard Heath and Robin Heath found that:
The day-inch measure was always the original measure based upon regularized day counting.
Central to the geometry at play in the design of various megalithic monuments, such as at Carnac and Stonehenge, is the day-inch, and by extension, the metre and the megalithic yard.
The megalithic yard
However, as Richard Heath and Robin Heath point out, other units of measure, such as the megalithic yard and the metre, both associated with megalithic sites by several researchers, can be understood as part of this system of astronomy, geometry and measure too. Forming a soli-lunar triangle generates the megalithic yard, a unit of measure discovered independently by Sir Alexander Thom in his extensive analysis of megalithic structures.
The Megalithic Yard found in megalithic constructions at Carnac was exactly the difference between three solar and three lunar years, 32 5/8th day-inches. (...)
The builders therefore appear to have used a day count to establish their megalithic yard, defined as the excess of three solar years over three lunar years, in day-inches. This unit of length was then chosen for subsequent constructions, such as the 3, 4, 5 triangles, using measuring rods and ropes originally derived from the day-inch counting, to then form the complex yet practical geometries found at Carnac. The “excess length” or megalithic yard contains the secret of calendar construction in which the sun and moon can be integrated since it contains their relative motions as a ratio, based upon day-inch counting.
The le Manio Triangle and the 1:4 Rectangle
The discoveries at Le Manio in France by Richard Heath and Robin Heath demonstrate another instance of geometry closely tied to astronomical cycles. Central to this is the 1:4 rectangle, with a diagonal of √17. This diagonal has a profound connection to the lunar cycle. For example, if the shorter side of the rectangle is 3 units and the longer side is 12 units, the diagonal equals 3√17, or 12.3693168, which approximates the average number of lunar months in a solar year.
At Le Manio, the sides of the 1:4 rectangle measure 9 metres and 36 metres, yielding a diagonal of 9√17 metres. When converted to inches, this diagonal closely matches 4 solar years (measured in inches). This suggests an intentional design linking geometry, astronomy, and units of measure.
Furthermore, the Le Manio triangle connects directly to the lunation triangle discovered by Robin Heath at Stonehenge. The 5:12:13 Pythagorean triangle at Stonehenge can be divided into two smaller triangles, one of which mirrors the 1:4 proportions of the Le Manio triangle. This geometric relationship suggests shared principles across these sites, even though they are separated by geography and culture.
The metre
Another unit of measure which emerges from this interplay of day-inch, geometry and astronomy is the metre:
This “four squares” geometry offers a portable procedure for reproducing the soli-lunar triangle‟s slope angle and day-inch counts, for any number of solar years. Its reproduction also requires a convenient unit of measure with which to build this geometry, a unit more convenient than 29.53 inches. Such a natural unit emerged during our survey when we noticed that 36 months measured exactly 27 metres on the baseline for three lunar years. The modern metre is therefore 36/27 (4/3rds) of the day-inch count for a lunar month, to high accuracy, since 3/4 metre equals 29.528 inches. Three metres then becomes a useful measure equivalent to a four lunar month day-inch count, then being 118.11 inches long. This 3 to 4 relationship, between the month and the metre, then plays itself out in the 3 year and 4 year triangles at Le Manio since the four lunar year baseline is then 36 metres, the number of months in three lunar years. The three lunar year day count of 1063 divided by 36 (months) gives a month of 29.528 inches which is ¾ of 39.370 inches, the length of the modern metre. Using eights of an inch therefore, 39.375 inches 9 (39 and three eighths) is then an almost identical length, three quarters of which give a month of 29.53125 day-inches long. The above rational metre 10 , divided by ¾, gives a lunar month accurate to one part in forty five thousand or a single minute in 29.53 days. The metre joins the megalithic yard as a measure naturally generated by day- inch counting, in this case useful for the reproduction of longer time periods without a day count or suitable longer rope.
A rectangle made up of 4 squares has interesting solar and lunar properties, as Richard Heath and Robin Heath have documented, with their work at Le Manio in Brittany. Half this rectangle creates a 4 :1:√17 triangle. The width, as 9 metres, represents 12 lunar months, or a lunar year. The length is 36 metres, representing 48 lunar months. And the diagonal represents 4 solar years. The length of 36 metres in fact gives a diagonal of 36 x 39.375 / 4 x √17 = 1461.125556 inches, which is four solar years. The Egyptian Sothic cycle 1461 civil years of 365 days, 1460 Julian years of 365.25 days.
Four lunar months, as 29.53125 days, make 118.125 days. 118.125 inches are 3 metres of 39.375 inches.
A 1x4 rectangle, with its √17 diagonal, is therefore significant with respect to lunar counting. When a 1x4 rectangle has sides of 9 and 36 metres, as at Le Manio, the diagonal of 9√17 metres signifies 4 solar years in inches, as Richard Heath has demonstrated. And if this 1x4 rectangle has sides of 3 and 12 units, the diagonal will be 3√17 = 12.3693168, which represents the average number of lunations in a year.
If the sides of this 1x4 rectangle are 270 x 1080 inches, the diagonal will be 270√17 inches, which also works out very nearly as the diagonal of a 20 metre square, as 270 x √17 / √2 = 787.13835 inches (19.9933 metres).
Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie, widely regarded as the father of modern Egyptology and archaeological metrology, remarked that a unit close to the metre, which was also part of a decimal system, existed once in Britain and Germany.
It is remarkable how near this early decimal system of Germany and Britain is the double of the modern decimal metric system. Had it not been unhappily driven out by the 12-in. foot, and repressed by statutes both against its yard and mile, we should need but a small change to place our measures in accord with the metre.
Indeed, it is possible that a unit very close in length to the metre existed beyond northern Europe also. Schwaller de Lubicz, obliquely referenced in Patrice Pouillard’s film The Revelation of the Pyramids, noted the possibility of a metre-like unit in Egypt. He suggested that the Egyptian royal cubit could be expressed as pi minus Phi² in metres (3.141593 - 2.618034 = 0.523559, which as a value in metres is 20.612558 inches). As a measure in metres, this is an Egyptian royal cubit. Various approximations of these irrational numbers can be used, for example 22/7 - 55/21 = 0.523809 , which as a value in metres is 20.622455 inches, or 864/275 - 144/55 = 0.52363636, which as a measure in metres is 20.615605 inches. Alternatively a conversion with 39.375 inches gives 20.625 inches and 20.6181818 inches, respectively.
French metrologist C. Mauss also noted the existence of the metre in ancient measures, writing: “We should conclude that the ancients knew a cubit of length equal to that of our metre”. Furthermore, the work of researchers like Algernon Berriman, David Kenworthy, Jim Wakefield, Jim Alison, Stephen Dail, Howard Crowhurst, and Quentin Leplat has extensively demonstrated the presence of a metre-like unit in ancient metrology and structures, well before the 18th century. Although John Neal refrains from calling it a metre, instead staying with the historically accurate “Belgic yard”, his research also supports the existence of a universal system of measurement based on shared principles.
An example in Rome of a monument possibly built using metres is the pyramid of Cestius. This pyramid is a burial tomb, with dimensions given as "29.50 m on each side and 36.40 m. high". Perhaps we can read into this 29.53 for the side, equivalent to the number of days in a lunation, and 36.4 for the height, referring to the 364 days of a year. This is just short of the 365.242199 days we give a year today, but it 364 is the 354 days of a lunar year (rounded to an integer value) plus the ten days (again, rounded) difference between a solar and lunar year. These ten days may symbolise “crossing the lunar divide (the Jordan symbolising the underworld stream of Okeanos) amounting to an annual sum of 364 days — requiring the intercalation of a single Day of Judgement to rationalize with the round solar year”, which would be fitting for a tomb.
The geometry of the circle can also link the metre to a value in day-inches. A circle with a diameter of 1000 x √3 / 44 = 39.36479 inches, which is close to the 39.3700787402 inches which define the metre today, gives a circumference of 6 cubits of 20.611356 inches, or 10 units of 12.366814 inches. There are on average 12.368266 lunations in a solar year. If the circle has a diameter of exactly 100 cm, the circumference will be 12.368475 inches, which is closer still to the average number of lunations. This metre, then, in turn can be multiplied by Phi squared and 2/10 to make a cubit. The cubit is linked to the circle, and Phi, and also to the sun and moon (eg 365.242199 / 354.36708 x 20 in inches).
The equatorial circumference of the earth
The Earth's equatorial circumference can be connected to cycles of time, such as the yuga. When expressed in inches, it aligns closely with the number of days in 4,320,000 sidereal years. This suggests that ancient systems of measurement encoded both spatial and temporal dimensions into their units. The inch may be linked to the size of the earth, specifically to the part of the earth where a day can be measured in spatial terms, that is, the equator: a point on the equatorial circumference traces 4 320 000 x 365.242199 inches in one day, or revolution of the earth around its axis. The equatorial circumference in inches can be understood as 365.242 x 4 320 000 = 1 577 845 440 inches (or with the sidereal year 365.256363 x 4 320 000 = 1 577 907 488, both acceptable measures for the equator.)
We might expect to have a division of the equatorial circumference into 24 hours, 60 minutes and 60 seconds, to indicate the divisions of a day. However, the presence of the number 365.242199 (the tropical year in days), or we could also use the sidereal year in days for a very similar result, links the turning of the earth on its own axis in a 24 hour period linked to the cycle around the sun too. The circumference as a measure in inches can be interpreted as 12 x 60 x 60 x 100 x 365.242199, and this can be seen as divisions of the 24 hour period into further subdivision of time that are slightly different to our own, plus the year. Or as the path of a point on the equator in space during a period of 4 320 000 years, measured in days as inches. The equatorial circumference of the earth is 40 075,017 km, which works out as 24 901.4611 miles, or 1 577 756 573.193 inches. A yuga of 4 320 000 sidereal years of 365.25868 gives a total of 1 577 917 497.6 days. A yuga is a period of time in Hindu cosmology. 4 320 000 tropical years of 365.242199 are equivalent to 1 577 846 299.64 days. With respect to the equatorial circumference, an inch represents a day as part of a very long cycle of 4 320 000 years. So it is natural to take an inch to represent a day on the ground in scientific-based monuments.
If we think of these time periods expressed in days as expressions of distance, in space, with each day converted to inches, we can see that the equatorial circumference of the earth and the period of 4 320 000 years in days are very close. Indeed, these two time periods converted to inches and then miles give 24 904.0004 and 24 902.8772 miles respectively, a difference of only a couple of miles from today's estimate. At some point in the ancient world, someone began to think of space and time as connected. Measurements of time, such as a year or a day, or indeed a yuga, become linked to spatial measurements, such as the earth's circumference.
If we take the equatorial circumference again as 4 320 000 x 365.256363 days, i.e. a yuga, and then divide it by a sidereal month in days, 27.321661, and then by 10 000, we get 5775.2985, the height of the Great Pyramid in inches. And this is not an isolated astronomical measure in inches at Giza. For example, the east-west width of the whole site, if you take just the three largest pyramids, is close to 80 years expressed in days, 8 years being a Venus cycle, but also 99 lunations. (Petrie gives 29 227 inches) Another nice one is the north-south length of this rectangle is the orbits of the seven traditional planets multiplied together, also with the Metonic cycle, and precession, expressed in earth years not days, and divided by 100. So that's: 0.24 x 0.615 x 1.88 x 11.86 x 29.46 x 25 920 x 0.0748 x 19 / 100 = 35 715.0970 (Petrie gives 35 713 inches).
Considering the size of the earth (equatorial circumference) as a yuga in days (4 320 000 years) gives an impressive fit, in inches, and then take those same inches to interpret the design of megaliths in Brittany for example, or pyramids in Egypt, as expressing precise cycles of time expressed in inches, then altogether, that makes for a convincing case that all these things are related, that the inch is very old, that it's a very precise unit of measure, that it's not just English, and that the people who designed it and used it were very smart.
Pyramids of Giza
At Giza we find many measurements which, when read in inches, convey numbers that correspond to astronomical cycles. These same numbers are found in the proportions of the pyramids, which strengthens the case for them being found in inches in the dimensions. some dimensions clearly reflect a single cycle or combination of cycles, for example the socket perimeter of the Great Pyramid, 9125 inches (309 lunations are close to 25 years of 365 days). The width of the site from west side of the third pyramid to the east side of the Great Pyramid is 29 227.2 expressing 10 x 8 years, being Venus cycle, 99 lunations, which reconcile with solar cycle and was historically important cycle in calendars.
The length of the site spanning the north side of the Great Pyramid to the south side of the third pyramid (Petrie: 35713.2 inches) represents the cycles of the seven traditional "planets" and precession, and the Metonic cycle. These are the orbital periods of the moon and planets known to antiquity, defined in terms of earth years: Mercury: 0.24 years, Venus: 0.615 years, Earth: 1 year, Mars: 1.88 years, Jupiter: 11.86 years, Saturn: 29.46 years, Moon: 0.0748 years (adjusted to the Earth year cycle) Metonic cycle: 19 years, Precession of the Equinoxes: 25,920 years. Multiplying these cycles together gives a number just two inches above Petrie’s estimate of 35 713.2 inches: and 0.24 x 0.615 x 1.88 x 11.86 x 29.46 x 25 920 x 0.0748 x 19 / 100 = 35 715.0970. If this is a good fit, each inch corresponds not to a day, here, but to a year.
Furthermore this number can be approximated in two ways through geometry: 2π / (3 x √3) x 29.53059 x 1 000 = 35 708.3769 (the number of days in a lunation is 29.53059) 1 000 000 / 28 = 35 714.2857, and indeed we find 280 cubits in the height of the Great Pyramid, and pi in the Great Pyramid. If we accept the inch at Giza then we also find √3 there because the height of the GP is compatible with 10 000 / √3 inches. The side of the Great Pyramid in metres can also be approximated with these geometric constants, being 2π / (3 x √3) x 29.53059 x 254² / 10 000 m.
The diagrams below show we find similar numbers in the proportions as in the dimensions at Giza:
The images below show similar numbers present in an interpretation of the proportions:
The height of the Great Pyramid can be interpreted as 10 000 / √3 inches, and this geometric number is directly connected to an astronomical number. A yuga of 4 320 000 years, a cycle of time associated with the ancient Indian tradition, has a certain number of sidereal months within it. This number, divided by 10 000 corresponds to the height of the Great Pyramid expressed in inches, and also approximately to 10 000 / √3 . The fact that this ratio between 4 320 000 sidereal years and the sidereal month can be expressed by the height of an equilateral triangle in relation to its side, ie. with √3, is remarkable.
The four triangular faces of the Great Pyramid are not equilateral triangles, but strangely, the base side of the pyramid also possibly references such a triangle, also in inches, but with Phi:
We can interpret √3 and π in the Great Pyramid, and in the rectangle that encompasses the bases of the main three Giza pyramids, and elsewhere at Giza, as connected to expressions of time, such as:
1 year in days ≈ π x 29.53059 x 1 000 / 254 = 365.2487
80 years in days ≈ 80 000 π x 29.53059 / 254 = 29 219.8692
1 draconic year in days ≈ 20 π x 29.53059 / (3 x √3 x 354.36708 / 365) = 346.6815
1 civil year in days ≈ 354.30436 / 346.6201 x 20 π x 29.53059 / (3 x √3) = 365.0646
1 lunar year in days ≈ 365 x 346.6201 x 3 x √3 / (20 x π x 29.53059) = 354.3044
The perimeter of the King's Chamber offers intriguing insights into the possible intention of the architects: the perimeter as measured by Petrie is approximately 0.7 inches over an exact 2 000 x phi inches, with phi = 0.61803402. 60 cubits of 20.614125 inches measure 1236.847 inches, which is close to the perimeter measured by Petrie. 1236.8475 inches would be the circumference of a circle with a diameter of 10 metres.
If we take as a starting point the cubit which is linked to Phi, and measures Phi² x 20 centimetres, this can be said to be generated by a double square, each square having sides of 20 cm, because the perimeter of the triangle with sides 20, 40, and 20 x √5 cm is equivalent to 2 Egyptian royal cubits of 52.36068 cm. A perimeter of 2 000 x 0.618034 inches, as we see in the King's Chamber, is equivalent to 254 / 1.618034³ such cubits.
Egyptian royal cubit of 52.36068 cm = 20.6144409 inches
20.6144409 x 254 / 1.618034³ = 1 236.068 inches.
Alternatively, we could say that the perimeter is 2 / 10 x 254 / 1.618034 = 31.396126 metres. This is close to 10 x pi metres, though there is a 1.98 cm difference. Almost exactly equal to 31.396126 metres is 29.53059 x 354.36708 x 3 / 1 000 = 31.39401 metres, with 29.53059 the number of days in a lunation and 354.36708 the number of days in 12 lunations, or a lunar year. We can therefore say that 29.53059 x 354.36708 x 3 / 1 000 is approximately equal to 2 / 10 x 254 / 1.618034. Or that Phi is approximately equal to 200 x 254 / (29.53059 x 354.36708 x 3) = 1.61814324.
Below are a few examples of interpretations of proportions and dimensions in inches which reveal numbers associated with astronomical cycles.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the evidence presented here suggests that ancient systems of measurement, far from being arbitrary constructs, were deeply intertwined with the celestial cycles and geometrical principles that governed the natural world. The inch, the metre, the megalithic yard, and the Egyptian royal cubit appear as echoes of a sophisticated prehistoric understanding of astronomy and timekeeping. These units of measure, encoded in the design of megalithic structures and monumental architecture, connect humanity's early ingenuity to the cosmos, reflecting an awareness of solar, lunar, and geometrical relationships.
The possibility that such advanced knowledge existed in prehistory challenges conventional assumptions about the capabilities of ancient civilisations. While some may argue that the connections drawn here are coincidental or overly interpretive, the recurring patterns across multiple sites, cultures, and units of measure create a compelling tapestry of evidence. The precise alignment of dimensions and ratios with astronomical cycles, combined with the universality of these measurements, strongly suggests intentionality in their design.
The speculative nature of reconstructing prehistoric systems of thought means there is always the risk of overreach. It is possible that not every finding aligns perfectly with the proposed framework, or that alternative explanations exist for some patterns. Yet, when viewed in totality, the weight of the evidence points to a shared system of metrology and cosmic understanding that transcends individual cultures and epochs.
Ultimately, this exploration invites us to view ancient monuments not just as relics of the past, but as profound statements of human curiosity and creativity. They are testaments to a worldview that sought to bridge the terrestrial and the celestial, embedding an understanding of time, space, and cycles into structures that endure to this day. By revisiting these ancient systems of measurement, we not only uncover the technical brilliance of our ancestors but also rekindle a sense of wonder about the intricate connections between humanity and the cosmos.
Thanks to Wim Verhart for all his questions on the inch
Notes
Petrie, William Matthew Flinders, 1926, Ancient weights and measures, British school of archaeology in Egypt, https://archive.org/details/ERA39/page/n41/mode/2up?q=Hesy
Bosak, Jon, 2010, The Old Measure, An Inquiry into the Origins of the U.S. Customary System of Weights and Measures, Wed edition 2021, p 59 - 60 https://www.ibiblio.org/bosak/pub/wam/the-old-measure-2010.pdf
Mauss, C., 1892, “L’Église de Saint-Jérémie à Abou-Gosch Observations sur plusieurs mesures de l’antiquité (Suite).” Revue Archéologique, vol. 20, 1892, pp. 80–130. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41747027.)
Heath, Richard & Heath, Robin, 2010, "The Origins of Megalithic Astronomy as found at Le Manio" https://www.academia.edu/5384545/The_Origins_of_Megalithic_Astronomy_as_found_at_Le_Manio)
Bibliography
Bosak, Jon, 2010, The Old Measure, An Inquiry into the Origins of the U.S. Customary System of Weights and Measures, Wed edition 2021, p 59 - 60 https://www.ibiblio.org/bosak/pub/wam/the-old-measure-2010.pdf
Heath, Richard & Heath, Robin, 2010, "The Origins of Megalithic Astronomy as found at Le Manio" https://www.academia.edu/5384545/The_Origins_of_Megalithic_Astronomy_as_found_at_Le_Manio)
Mauss, C., 1892, “L’Église de Saint-Jérémie à Abou-Gosch Observations sur plusieurs mesures de l’antiquité (Suite).” Revue Archéologique, vol. 20, 1892, pp. 80–130. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41747027.)
Petrie, William Matthew Flinders, 1926, Ancient weights and measures, British school of archaeology in Egypt, https://archive.org/details/ERA39/page/n41/mode/2up?q=Hesy
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