How the Ancients (at Giza) Calculated the Rotational velocity of earth

This thread is essentially the Ancient Giza Rubic cube part 2, and in this thread I will demonstrate how the Ancient builders of the Giza pyramids applied a practical use to them in calculating the rotational speed of earth.

In this thread I will do a set of calculations which demonstrates that the distances 411, 440, 201.5 (the side base distances of the pyramid represents time displacement values). I will show how the gaps distances between the pyramids represent displacement distances, how the side base values and gap displacements can be fed into velocity = distance / time calculations to measure rotational speed of earth.

I have placed this in Skunk works because i don't want this thread to get into tit tat arguments over appropriate thread category.

Firstly for a basic definition on the nautical mile.


The perimeter (circumference of earth) is divide-able into 360 degrees and then each degree divide by 60 minutes of arc. The 360 x 60 = 21600 nautical miles for measuring the circumference of earth. Therefore 1 nautical mile is the angular distance of 1 minute of arc on the earth's surface and at the equator the single nautical mile measures as = 1852 metres.

If you try and go into the history of where the nautical mile originated you will find no definitive answer, other than pointing to ancient origins. What i am presenting in my thread collaborates that the contemporary use of 1852 metres was also in use at the time the pyramids at Giza were built, (indicating what we consider/refer to be a contemporary value is in fact very old usage). The above was my words but in the quotes below is a more technical definition.

www.physlink.com...

Ok i hope you like calculations because this is where it starts:


The nautical mile or minute of an arc at the equator is made up of 1852 metres. The Egyptians Royale cubits 0.52375 metres converts this to 3536.03818 egyptians Royale cubits.

The equatorial diameter of earth allows is 21600 nautical miles x 3536.03818 eyptians Royale cubits = 76378424.688 eygptians Royale cubits cubits. Therefore the ratio of distance of the Giza east west (longitudinal) 1417.5 Plateau direction divided by the earth equatorial diameter.

= (76378424.688/ 1417.5)
= 53882.48655 ( which represents the number of times the Giza East West intervals divides up the equator)

Recap a single nautical mile is the arc distance of about 1 minute of a degree out 360 degrees that divide the circumference. A single
1 minute of a degree is divide-able into 60 arc seconds.

Therefore the total arc seconds in 360 degrees = 360 x 60 x 60 = 1296000 arc seconds

1296000/ 53882.48655 = 24.052342 arc seconds. This value means that is there are 24.052 arc seconds in the east-west length of Giza length 1417.5.

I will round to 24 arc seconds.,

The rounding effect (24.052342 -24) x 53882.48655 = 2820 arc seconds variance, (or look at it as 2820 / 24 = 117.5 lengths of giza) as the variation factor in earths circumference distance at equator, (because the surface has hills, moutains , bumps etc). I will show later the effect of rounding is negligible on the result.



Recap a few things again:
There are 24 arc seconds in the east-west length of Giza 1417.5 plateau length ( 1417.5 measured in Eygptians Royale cubits) in the plateau east west longitudinal direction .
The total circumferential arc seconds in 360 degrees = 360 x 60 x 60 = 1296000.


Therefore (86400/ 1296000) x 24 (arc seconds)= (0.066666) x 24 = 1.6 seconds which is the number of seconds that pass on the 24 hr clock/watch hand for every 24 arc seconds.

Note: In the 24 hour time scale there are 24 hours 60 minute and 60 seconds. That makes for 24 x 60 x 60 = 86400 seconds, which is where the value came from above. The arc second quantities cancel eachother so 1.6 second result is seconds measured on the 24 hr clock/watch minute/sec hand.


I will do a set of calculations below which demonstrates that the distances 411, 440, 201.5 represents time displacement values (measured in the 24 hr clock/watch minute/sec time scale). I will show how the gaps distances between the pyramids represent displacement distances, and the side base distances of the pyramid are time displacements values (which are determined in calculations which I perform). The displacements and times can be fed into velocity = distance / time calculation to measure rotational speed of earth.




Calc 1
The gap distances ( 152 + 213) = 365
(365/ 1417.5) x 1.6 seconds = 0.4119929

the diagram above shows the 152 gap = (353.5 - 201.5)
and the other is the 213 gap

Calc 2

The arc seconds in 1732 north south distance 24 x (1732/1417.5) = 29.32486
Therefore (86400/ 1296000) x 29.32486 = (0.066666) x 24 = 1.9549 seconds the number of seconds that pass on the 24 hr clock/watch hand for every 24 arc seconds.

Calc 3

(365/ 1732) x 1.9549 seconds = 0.4119929 ( seconds in 24 hr/minute second clock)

What does this value 0.411 mean then. I see it as meaning the fraction of time on the 24 hour clock (in seconds) when the earth moves ( rotates its position) against the sun (stationary point). From an observer standing on ground they appear stationary and its the sun which is the thing moving in an arc across the sky. Therefore think of it in terms of the earth is rotating its position in increments of 1417.5 (east west direction) distance, and with each increment taking 24 arc seconds (or 1.6 seconds as measured on the 24 hr wrist watch of the ground observer).

This 0.411 seconds appears to me to be a value which the Ancients used for a velocity measurement of the earths rotation, i.e. 365 cubits per 0.4119 seconds, they were happy with 0.411 seconds accuracy and this rounding has negligible effect on accuracy of rotational speed value.

365 cubits per 0.411 seconds = 885.9375 cubits/ second earths circumferental rotational speed.

convert 885.9375 cubits/ second to metres per second using 0.52375 metres converter factor

= 464.01 metres/ second

quote value below from internet comparing result above with known rotational speed of earth

Then we divide the length of a day into the distance a point on the equator travels in that period: 40,075 km/23.93 hours = 1,675 km/hour, 465 meters/second. The speed of the Earth's rotation changes as you go North or South away from the equator.

My next few posts to this thread will add calculations for 201.5 and 440 and demonstrate that the pyramids had practical application, certainly not just static tombs for Bronze/copper age civilisation.

Your theory would be interesting if the ancient Egyptians had or used modern nautical miles, or any of the other units your calculations rely on. Since they didn't, however, and most of said units weren't in existence until thousands of years after the Giza complex was constructed, your entire premise is invalid. I believe several people already pointed that out in the last thread....

The nautical mile is a convenient spliting up of the earths' circumference.

No reason why you'd call it modern.

I still think the size of the pyramid is a random accident though.

The Calc 4 determination of the pyramid side base length 440


Calc 4

Taking the gap distances from the Giza plateau ( 429.5 - 250 + 213) = 392.5

Using the 1.9549 seconds from Calc 2 ( refer to my first post)

(392.5/ 1732) x 1.9549 = 443

The Ancients actually used the 440 value. The Calc 5 below using 443 i calculate the earth rotational speed as 464.044 metres/ second . If i had used 440 in my calc 5 the speed result would of been 467.208 metres/ second. The variance 467.208 - 464.044 = 3.165 metres/ second.

The Ancients decided on applying the 440 length and the reasons for was in my view probably deliberate and a requried necessity for balancing the middle calc speed result within a tolerance band
e.g. xx + 464 metres/ second + yy.

Calc 5

Therefore using same calc method from Calc 3 (refer original post), to work out rotational speed of earth

392.5/ 0.443 = 886.0045 cubits

convert 885.9375 cubits/ second to metres per second using 0.52375 metres converter factor

= 464.044 metres/ second

The quote value below from internet comparing result above with known rotational speed of earth

Then we divide the length of a day into the distance a point on the equator travels in that period: 40,075 km/23.93 hours = 1,675 km/hour, 465 meters/second. The speed of the Earth's rotation changes as you go North or South away from the equator.

My next posts to this thread the last equation based on the Giza smallest pyramid.

Btw I should of had a Calc 6 in post above

Using the 1.6 seconds for the 1417.5 distance alternatively

Calc 6: (392.5/ 1417.5) x 1.6 = 0.4430

So whether calc is being applied with the longitudinal Giza west east length 1417.5 or the North South Giza length 1732 length the velocity result will calculate to same value.

a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

An understandable reaction but please read the book "The Lost Science of Measuring the Earth" by Robin Heath. The measurements we use today, as a matter of fact, have origins that stretch FAR back into the fog of history. Or check out the youtube video "Secrets in Plain Sight". This stuff is legit, and it's absolutely mindblowing. That or it's the greatest series of coincidences in existence.

Lost Science of Measuring the Earth



S&F, OP.

part 3





The Calc 7 determination of the pyramid side base length 201.5

429.5 - 250 = 179.5

Using the 1.9549 seconds ( refer to Calc 2 in original post for this derived value)

(179.5/ 1732) x 1.9549 = 0.2026

The Ancients actual value used 201.5 for smallest pyramid base length in Eygptian royale cubits.

For Calc 8 below using 0.2026 i calculate the earth rotational speed as 464.031 metres/ second . If i had used 0.2015 in my calc 5 the speed result would of been 466.566 metres/ second. The variance 466.566 - 464.031 = 2.165 m/s.

Therefore using same calc method described from Calc 3 (in Op), to work out rotational speed of earth

Calc 8 - 179.5/ 0.2026 = 885.978 cubits

Convert 885.978 cubits/ second to metres per second using 0.52375 metres converter factor

= 464.031 metres/ second

Then we divide the length of a day into the distance a point on the equator travels in that period: 40,075 km/23.93 hours = 1,675 km/hour, 465 meters/second. The speed of the Earth's rotation changes as you go North or South away from the equator.

Looking at the the speed variances

Why is the calculated value 0.2026 not comming out exactly as 0.2015 to be consistent with smallest pyramid base length 201.5. As I explained above using 0.2026 i calculated the earth rotational speed as 464.031 metres/ second . If i had used 0.2015 in my Calc 5 to calculate the rotational speed result would of been 466.566 metres/ second. The variance 466.566 - 464.031 = 2.165 metres/ second.

The average of these two values is (466.566 + 464.031)/2 = 465.30 metres/ second.

The same average can be deduced for the speed variance of the largest pyramid

The Ancients actually used the 440 value. The Calc 5 derived 443 which i used to calculate the earth rotational speed as 464.044 metres/ second . If i had used 440 in my Calc 5 the speed result would of been 467.208 metres/ second. The variance 467.208 - 464.044 = 3.165 metres/ second.

The average of these two values is 467.208 + 464.044 = 465.62 metres/ second.

Now take the avergage value of 465.62 metres/ second + 465.30 metres/ second + the speed value calculated for middle pyramid (with no speed variance) 464.01 metres/ second

(465.62 + 465.30 + 464.01) / 3 = 464.9786666666 metres second

and compare that to the contempory modern determined value 465 meters/second

Therefore the minor variances i described between calculated and actual base length values on the smallest and largest pryamid were done deliberately to calculate necessary tolerances than when averaged give the most accurate value of rotational earth speed.

If you could put a stick in the ground and use it as a sundial, and then use the kind of math Eratosthenes did, it wouldn't be that terribly hard to figure out the Earth's circumference. Then by knowing the change in angles on the sundial over time in relation to that information, yes, then you could also figure out how fast the Earth was turning in relation to the shadow cast by the sun.

Since Eratosthenes lived in what is now part of Libya and not too terribly far from Alexandria, I'd guess some of the things he learned may have origins with the Egyptians. (Something like the Rhind Papyrus might be fairly indicative of far along they were even before Eratosthenes' time.)