Anne Macaulay
Encyclopedia
Anne Macaulay was a British
musicologist, archaeologist
, author
and lecturer.
in Scotland
near Lundin standing stones
, the youngest child of Sir. David and Alison Russell. Her family soon moved to Silverburn near Lundin Links
where her father managed a paper
-making business through the Great Depression
and had interests in religion
, archaeology
, industry
and a good sense of family values. She attended St. Leonard's School in St. Andrews during the Second World War going on to briefly attend the University of Edinburgh which she departed for South Africa
she learnt to become an aeroplane pilot
. Around this time her brother, Patrick Russell died and she accompanied her father to Istanbul
where he had funded an archaeological excavation. It was here that she met Bill Macaulay, curator
of the Glasgow Museum of Art
and an expert in mosaics and Byzantine
art whom her father held in high esteem. In 1953, they married and moved to Johnsburn House in Balerno
near the Pentland Hills
.
Macaulay had five children, the last in 1957, when she began to develop an interest in classical guitar
, which she learnt to play to an exceptionally high standard. This led her on to an interest in Pythagorean
mathematics
and it's relationship with music
. It was from this that her interest in stone circle
s and prehistoric geometry developed and she began to read the work of Alexander Thom
. Over the next several years, she proceeded to resurvey much of Thom's work and travelled widely to Turkey
, Malta
, Egypt
, Greece
and throughout the British Isles
in search of further evidence of his ideas.
After the break up of her marriage to Bill in 1971 she worked for seventeen years trying to bring her work and the mass of data she had recorded into order. Her work became well known to other academics and musicians such as Professor Jay Kappraff
, Keith Critchlow
, Andrew Glazewski and Paul Segovia. She lectured at conferences and symposia in the United States
and Britain
and in 1994 was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Edinburgh
. Macaulay's research interests included the origin of the alphabet, history of the guitar, the deity Apollo, and pythagorean mysteries. She was a trustee
of the Salisbury Centre in Edinburgh
and lectured for the Research into Lost Knowledge Organization (RILKO). She died early, in 1998, but her family said of her "She was fortunate to walk with many who knew the ancient ways, and she uncovered the truth as easily as drinking a cup of tea".
based surveyor
who is president of the British Weights and Measures Association
and Richard A. Batchelor, a Research Fellow
at the University of St. Andrews, geologist
and investigator into the geometry
of Fife
. The book contains a critical re-assessment of the geometry used in over one hundred and eighty of the stone circles surveyed by Alexander Thom (who surveyed over two hundred) along with their mensuration using the megalithic yard
and the megalithic rod. From Professor Fernie's 1981 studies of the Metrological Relief
in the Ashmolean Museum
, Oxford
(which Macaulay gives by its previous name The Arundel Stone) she claimed a similarity between the Greek Fathom
and the megalithic rod of 2.072 m. She also suggested that many of the megaliths had been designed using a "third yardstick
" length of one Greek Foot, depicted on the Metrological relief at 0.296 m, or one seventh of a megalithic rod. Concering this claim, Jay Kappraff
wrote "However, according to the archaeological record, there was no standard unit of a 'foot' in ancient Greece." She found that the best direct evidence for the use of an ancient unit of measure in megalithic Britain at the fan of stone rows in Mid Clyth. Douglas Heggie had found this gave the strongest evidence for an early unit of measure of any site in the UK. Heggie was very dubious about the existence of the megalithic yard, stating that his careful analysis uncovered "little evidence for a highly accurate unit" and "little justification for the claim that a highly accurate unit was in use".
Macaulay suggested that a high culture of bard
s (or druid
s) emerged following an influx of Indo-European
farming techniques into Britain in the 5th millennium BC
. This culture were able to determine pythagorean mathematics from harmonious sounding triads
played on ancient Lyre
s. These mathematics were then suggested to have been used in the construction of stone circles and exported back to Greece
via the tin
trade.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musicologist, archaeologist
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and lecturer.
Biography
Anne was born in Aithernie, FifeFife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
near Lundin standing stones
Lundin Links
Lundin Links is a small village in Fife, Scotland. The village is best known for its two golf courses. The 18 hole course, Lundin Golf Club, was used as a pre-qualifying course when The Open Championship is held at St. Andrews. Lundin Links Ladies 9 hole course is the oldest woman's golf course in...
, the youngest child of Sir. David and Alison Russell. Her family soon moved to Silverburn near Lundin Links
Lundin Links
Lundin Links is a small village in Fife, Scotland. The village is best known for its two golf courses. The 18 hole course, Lundin Golf Club, was used as a pre-qualifying course when The Open Championship is held at St. Andrews. Lundin Links Ladies 9 hole course is the oldest woman's golf course in...
where her father managed a paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
-making business through the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and had interests in religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
and a good sense of family values. She attended St. Leonard's School in St. Andrews during the Second World War going on to briefly attend the University of Edinburgh which she departed for South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
she learnt to become an aeroplane pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
. Around this time her brother, Patrick Russell died and she accompanied her father to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
where he had funded an archaeological excavation. It was here that she met Bill Macaulay, curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the Glasgow Museum of Art
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a museum and art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland. The building houses one of Europe's great civic art collections...
and an expert in mosaics and Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
art whom her father held in high esteem. In 1953, they married and moved to Johnsburn House in Balerno
Balerno
Balerno is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 12 kilometres south west of the city centre, next to Juniper Green and Currie. Administratively, Balerno falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council.- History :...
near the Pentland Hills
Pentland Hills
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale.Some of the peaks include:* Scald Law...
.
Macaulay had five children, the last in 1957, when she began to develop an interest in classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
, which she learnt to play to an exceptionally high standard. This led her on to an interest in Pythagorean
Pythagorean
Pythagorean means of or pertaining to the ancient Ionian mathematician, philosopher, and music theorist Pythagoras. See:-Philosophy:* Pythagoreanism is a term used for the esoteric and metaphysical beliefs purported to have been held by Pythagoras....
mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and it's relationship with music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. It was from this that her interest in stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
s and prehistoric geometry developed and she began to read the work of Alexander Thom
Alexander Thom
Alexander "Sandy" Thom was a Scottish engineer most famous for his theory of the Megalithic yard, categorization of stone circles and his studies of Stonehenge and other archaeological sites.- Life and work :...
. Over the next several years, she proceeded to resurvey much of Thom's work and travelled widely to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and throughout the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
in search of further evidence of his ideas.
After the break up of her marriage to Bill in 1971 she worked for seventeen years trying to bring her work and the mass of data she had recorded into order. Her work became well known to other academics and musicians such as Professor Jay Kappraff
Jay Kappraff
Jay Kappraff is a American professor of mathematics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and author.-Biography:Kappraff was trained in engineering, physical sciences and mathematics, earning a B.Ch.E. in Chemical Engineering at New York Polytechnic in 1958. He went on to be awarded a Ph.D...
, Keith Critchlow
Keith Critchlow
Keith Barry Critchlow is an artist, lecturer, author, and professor of architecture in England, and a co-founder of the Temenos Academy.He was educated at the Summerhill School and the Royal College of Art...
, Andrew Glazewski and Paul Segovia. She lectured at conferences and symposia in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and in 1994 was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. Macaulay's research interests included the origin of the alphabet, history of the guitar, the deity Apollo, and pythagorean mysteries. She was a trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of the Salisbury Centre in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and lectured for the Research into Lost Knowledge Organization (RILKO). She died early, in 1998, but her family said of her "She was fortunate to walk with many who knew the ancient ways, and she uncovered the truth as easily as drinking a cup of tea".
Megalithic Measures and Rhythms
Macaulay's work was posthumously collated, edited and published in 2006 by Vivian T. Linacre, a PerthPerth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
based surveyor
Surveyor
Surveyor may refer to:Professions and their activities* Surveying, the process of determining accurate positions on, or near the Earth's surface** Cadastral surveying, the process of establishing boundary locations and land parcel corners...
who is president of the British Weights and Measures Association
British Weights and Measures Association
The current British Weights and Measures Association, or BWMA, is a pressure group established in the United Kingdom in 1995, founded by Vivian Linacre....
and Richard A. Batchelor, a Research Fellow
Research fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
at the University of St. Andrews, geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
and investigator into the geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
of Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. The book contains a critical re-assessment of the geometry used in over one hundred and eighty of the stone circles surveyed by Alexander Thom (who surveyed over two hundred) along with their mensuration using the megalithic yard
Megalithic Yard
A Megalithic Yard is a unit of measurement, about , that some researchers believe was used in the construction of megalithic structures. The proposal was made by Alexander Thom as a result of his surveys of 600 megalithic sites in England, Scotland, Wales and Britanny...
and the megalithic rod. From Professor Fernie's 1981 studies of the Metrological Relief
Metrological Relief
The Metrological Relief is an Ancient Greek relief of a man with arms outstretched, cut with hammer and chisel on a triangular, marble slab between 460 to 430 BC. It was found in Turkey or the Greek Islands in 1625–26 AD by a chaplain called William Petty collecting sculptures for Thomas Howard,...
in the Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
(which Macaulay gives by its previous name The Arundel Stone) she claimed a similarity between the Greek Fathom
Ancient Greek units of measurement
Ancient Greek units of measurement would later create the foundation of Egyptian, and formed the basis of the later Roman system.Generally speaking, standards of measurement within the ancient Greek world varied according to location and epoch. Systems of ancient weights and measures evolved as...
and the megalithic rod of 2.072 m. She also suggested that many of the megaliths had been designed using a "third yardstick
Yardstick
A yardstick is a straightedge used to physically measure lengths of up to a yard high. Yardsticks are flat wooden boards with markings at regular intervals.-Construction:...
" length of one Greek Foot, depicted on the Metrological relief at 0.296 m, or one seventh of a megalithic rod. Concering this claim, Jay Kappraff
Jay Kappraff
Jay Kappraff is a American professor of mathematics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and author.-Biography:Kappraff was trained in engineering, physical sciences and mathematics, earning a B.Ch.E. in Chemical Engineering at New York Polytechnic in 1958. He went on to be awarded a Ph.D...
wrote "However, according to the archaeological record, there was no standard unit of a 'foot' in ancient Greece." She found that the best direct evidence for the use of an ancient unit of measure in megalithic Britain at the fan of stone rows in Mid Clyth. Douglas Heggie had found this gave the strongest evidence for an early unit of measure of any site in the UK. Heggie was very dubious about the existence of the megalithic yard, stating that his careful analysis uncovered "little evidence for a highly accurate unit" and "little justification for the claim that a highly accurate unit was in use".
Macaulay suggested that a high culture of bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
s (or druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
s) emerged following an influx of Indo-European
Indo-European
Indo-European may refer to:* Indo-European languages** Aryan race, a 19th century and early 20th century term for those peoples who are the native speakers of Indo-European languages...
farming techniques into Britain in the 5th millennium BC
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
. This culture were able to determine pythagorean mathematics from harmonious sounding triads
Triad (music)
In music and music theory, a triad is a three-note chord that can be stacked in thirds. Its members, when actually stacked in thirds, from lowest pitched tone to highest, are called:* the Root...
played on ancient Lyre
Lyre
The lyre is a stringed musical instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later. The word comes from the Greek "λύρα" and the earliest reference to the word is the Mycenaean Greek ru-ra-ta-e, meaning "lyrists", written in Linear B syllabic script...
s. These mathematics were then suggested to have been used in the construction of stone circles and exported back to Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
via the tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
trade.