Re: Strange Maths (was Re: Why not 13 months?)

meron@cars3.uchicago.edu
Thu, 20 Jul 1995 18:17:42 GMT

>
>The thing which requires standards of measure is international trade. When you
>order your cedars from Lebanon it would be nice if they come cut to the length
>you expect, The same applies to those blocks of granite you have ordered from
>Nubia. The Egyptians traded all over the world.

International trade at the time of ancient Egypt was not done by picking the
phone and placing an order. Either you bought whatever some trader happened to
bring or, if you were a king or a prince, you send your own traders abroad with
specific instructions what to bring. You could tell your chief trader "get me
fifty cedars from Lebanon, and I want every piece to be at least 30 paces long.
That still isn't a standard

Mati Meron | "When you argue with a fool,
meron@cars3.uchicago.edu | chances are he is doing just the same"