Genius of Ancient Technology: Surveyors & Water

Survey Legend
Views: 231
Get Embed Code

Beginning with looking at the ancient skill of accurate surveying, without an accurate surveyor there is no accurate ancient building. Without a surveyor there is no archeoastronomy. From ancient Egypt through the ancinet past and across the ancient world surveying would have been a fundamental. That brings us to the power of water and what has to the most remarkable achievement in regards to ancient water management. The Roman Aqueduct. The Great Pyramid is rightfully marveled for the accuracy of it's construction (Thanks to the ancient surveyors as much as the actuall construction teams) however it is often said that the Great Pyramid was the most accurately surveyed building until the modern era. Well, it's turns out that isn't necessarily the case. The Great Pyramid is an amazing 0.05 degrees from true north, it might be argued that was intentional or that because the rotational axis of the Earth has shifted by 0.05 degrees. However supposing it was 100% accurate that alignemnt is along the ground while the internal shafts and other features don't quite reach 0.05 degreees in their accuracy. Yet the Roman Aqueducts were colossal projects, of the major aqueducts into Rome the volume of stone cut for the tunnels, or the stone quarried and moved to make the arches is massive. I didn't run the numbers but each aqueduct is at the very least comparable in volume to the Great Pyramid. Since they are powered by gravity the aqueducts needed to maintina a constant angle over massive distances to deliver their water to distant urban centres and industrial sites. The Nimes Aqueduct in France for instance was built to maintain an angle of less than 0.02 degrees over it's 50 kilometre , 31 mile length. This length is not essentially long as far as the aqueducts go! 0.02 degrees in simple terms is more accurate than 0.05 degrees in simple terms but the Great Pyramid is aligned to North along the ground and it is less than 0.25 kilometres in base length. The Aqueducts are very very long, individually the volume of stone is comparable, if not greater, than the Great Pyramid. While they constructed to higher level of accuracy than 0.05 degrees and they do this THROUGH THE AIR. Not along the ground to a fixed point but THROUGH THE AIR for vast distances. More so the aqueducts not only provide fresh water while also taking away sewage they were also harnessed for industrial purposes. To master water management one must survey accurately!! Civilization is nothing without the mastery of water. Water is life and with a few clever tweaks with simple machines water is also power, industrial power. How far of a leap is it to assume that the ancestors of Roman civilization were applying the same simple genius? If you appreciate what I do and would like to support this channel: https://www.paypal.me/SGDSacredGeometry LOST ANCIENT HIGH TECHNOLOGY Granite Cutting MACHINE IN ACTION!! by Historymaze Reconstruction of ancinet water powered machines to cut stones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi2nC... Unlocking the Pyramids - part 1 has a focus on the importance of surveying in Egypt https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... For more information on Seshat, the ancient Egyptian goddess of science and knowledge, as well as the importance of scribes, schools and bureaucratic administration in ancient Egypt https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

You need to be a member of Land Surveyors United - Surveying Education Community to add thoughts!

Join Land Surveyors United - Surveying Education Community

E-mail me when people leave their comments –

Discover Videos by Type

Educate Future Land Surveyors

Comment as:

Votes: 0

You need to be a member of Land Surveyors United - Surveying Education Community to add thoughts!

Join Land Surveyors United - Surveying Education Community

Comments are closed.