Ideas, evidence and experiments
Case Studies
Explore ancient measures through worked examples, historical evidence and interactive investigations.
Study a question
Measures, ratios and the evidence behind them.
Follow a complete topic, from Egyptian slopes and Roman solids to uncertain standards and the measurement of the Earth.
Case studySeked: Egyptian Slope and RatiosHow Egyptian seked arithmetic links pyramid slopes, pi and phi comparisons, with a worked Rhind example and the evidence behind eight monument models.
Case studyThe Roman DodecahedronTest a measuring hypothesis against catalogue dimensions, aperture sensitivity and the limits of an ideal solid.
Case studyFalse Precision in Ancient UnitsUse Petrie's Great Pyramid casing survey to see how exact conversion digits can overstate historical precision. Try the rounding control while the evidence stays fixed.
Case studyHow to Read Sacred Geometry ResponsiblyCompare two sourced pyramid examples and distinguish a close ratio, symbolic interpretation and builder intention.
Case studyWhat Is Ancient Metrology?Explore a rod, a weight and a mathematical text to distinguish evidence, reconstruction and conversion.
Case studyOne Slope, Three Famous RatiosWork through one declared slope and see why its seked, near-2π result and near-φ result move together.
Case studyThere Was No Single Greek FootCompare Penrose's proposed feet within Athens, calculate 600-foot distances and separate a stadium report from a reconstructed standard.
Case studyAlexandria to Syene: Measuring the Earth in StadiaEratosthenes turned an angular difference and a 5,000-stadia
baseline into a planetary circumference, while leaving modern
readers a unit problem.
Case studyWhat Petrie Actually Gave Us at GizaReproduce Petrie's base-side mean and residuals, then see why a reconstructed dimension and an assumed ancient cubit count are different evidence.
Case studyAncient Measures for Historical FictionUse old units to create a different mental world, then translate
just enough for the reader.