Among the leading Egyptologists of his day‎,‎ Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie ‎(‎1853‎-1942‎)‎ excavated over fifty sites and trained a generation of archaeologists‎.‎ As a young man‎,‎ he demonstrated an aptitude for mathematics and used this skill to measure monuments across the south of England‎,‎ including Stonehenge‎.‎ Published in 1877‎,‎ this work was based in part on these early surveys and provides great insight into the linear measurements used by ancient civilisations‎.‎ Notably‎,‎ Petrie establishes that accurate measurement was possible in societies without writing systems‎.‎ His innovative approach to metrology draws comparisons between units of measurement used by peoples separated by great spans of time and distance‎,‎ ranging from medieval Ireland to ancient Egypt‎.‎ Petrie went on to write prolifically throughout his long career‎,‎ and a great many of his other publications are also reissued in this series‎.‎