[please, no jokes[
[unless I make them]
Ancient Jugs Hold the Secret to Practical Mathematics in Biblical Times
The researchers discovered that the ancients devised convenient mathematical systems in order to determine the volume of each jug. They theorize that the original owners and users of the jugs measured their contents through a system that linked units of length to units of volume, possibly by using a string to measure the circumference of the spherical container to determine the precise quantity of liquid within.
The system, which the researchers believe was developed by the ancient Egyptians and used in the Eastern Mediterranean from about 1,500 to 700 BCE, was recently reported in the journal PLoS ONE. Its discovery was part of the Reconstruction of Ancient Israel project supported by the European Union.
I wonder why the standardized sizes/volumes wasn’t noticed before? Although frankly I’m not sure how many analysts routinely measure the volume of (mostly reconstructed) vessels. I would guess the shipment containers found on wrecks would have struck people as a standard size a long time ago. But. . .hmmm.
