Rope stretcher explained
In ancient Egypt, a rope stretcher (or harpedonaptai) was a surveyor who measured real property demarcations and foundations using knotted cords, stretched so the rope did not sag. The practice is depicted in tomb paintings of the Theban Necropolis.[1] Rope stretchers used 3-4-5 triangles and the plummet,[2] which are still in use by modern surveyors.
The commissioning of a new sacred building was a solemn occasion in which pharaohs and other high-ranking officials personally stretched ropes to define the foundation. This important ceremony, and therefore rope-stretching itself, are attested over 3000 years from the early dynastic period to the Ptolemaic kingdom.[3]
Rope stretching technology spread to ancient Greece and India, where it stimulated the development of geometry and mathematics.
See also
References
- Book: Macintosh Wilson, Alistair . The Infinite in the Finite . Oxford University Press . 1995 . 9780198539506 .
- The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica 1974
- James Henry Breasted Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Two, Chicago 1906
- Joel F. PAULSON, "Surveying in Ancient Egypt,", FIG Working Week 2005 and GSDI-8, Cairo, Egypt April 16-21, 2005. https://www.fig.net/resources/proceedings/fig_proceedings/cairo/papers/wshs_02/wshs02_02_paulson.pdf
External links
Notes and References
- Book: Evidence and Procedures for Boundary Location . 282 . 9780470901601 . Robillard . Walter G. . Wilson . Donald A. . Brown . Curtis M. . Eldridge . Winfield . 31 January 2011 . John Wiley & Sons .
- http://www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk/search/main/textresult.php?objectname=plumb&find_location=&material=&period=&submit44=Search Petrie Museum website: plumbs
- Book: Architecture and Mathematics from Antiquity to the Future: Volume I: Antiquity to the 1500s . 98 . 9783319001371 . Williams . Kim. Kim Williams (architect) . Ostwald . Michael J. . 9 February 2015 . Birkhäuser .
