142 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE BRITISH INCH AS THE 

 UNIT OF MEASURE OF THE MOUND BUILDERS OF 

 THE OHIO VALLEY. 



Paper contributed by L Rai,st(in Skinner, Dec. i, 1886. 

 (Continued from page 127.) 



Group IV. 



Can we not admit, then, as established, that the Mound 

 Builders possessed a standard unit of measure, which is to-day known 

 and used as our British inch? If so, they possessed a standard of 

 12 of these inches, combined on the same tablet with one of 9 

 inches, the tablet being of such a form that the 12 implied the use 

 of 24 inches. This arises from the natural suggestion q( complet- 

 ing the ellipse by doubling the curvature of the elliptical measuring 

 stone or tablet. In making use of their tablet we find that they 

 applied the same numbers interchangeably as designative of sides 

 of squares, of rectangles, of lengths of long parallel ways, and as 

 connected with circles (and ellipses), both to measure diameter 

 and circumference lines. Indeed, the relation of square to circle, 

 in terms, for measure of the general constructive numbers, or sim- 

 pler, in terms of the number 6 and its multiples, is everywhere be- 

 yond contradiction manifest. 



From this it becomes safe to say that this mode of construc- 

 tion rested upon a knowledge of the relation of a right line to the 

 curved one of the circle, or of diameter to circumference of the 

 circle ; and consequently of the relations of circular and rectangu- 

 lar areas. The Mound Builders knew of the geometrical relations 

 of these shapes, of tneir numerical ratios, and had the ])eculiar 

 standard of measure mentioned to exhibit the numerical relations 

 by application to the shapes themselves. We will try and show 

 this from the works. 



The exception is so rare to the use of the multiple of 6 feet, or to 

 the numbers 210, 120, 420, 240, 1,080, 1,050, and the divisions of 

 5,280, that when found it is worthy of especial attention. Such 

 an exception does take place as to the measures of oiie great and 

 distinctive work, and one of the groups of works of the Scioto Val- 

 ley, near Chillicothe. But while it is such an exception, neverthe- 

 less we do find its remarkable measures connected with the coiiibi- 

 nation of the most prominent measures of the groups, viz., 1,080 



