Reconsidering the Egyptian Short Cubit: Metrological Ambiguity, Functional Discontinuity, and the Hypothesis of a Non-Linear Original Use (Revised and expanded version)

This article presents a revised and expanded examination of the Egyptian Short Cubit as a metrological problem rather than as a fixed unit of linear measurement. While the Royal Cubit has been extensively studied and is relatively well defined in architectural and administrative contexts, the Short Cubit remains conceptually ambiguous and inconsistently represented in the archaeological record. By reviewing archaeological evidence, historiography, and the cultural context of Egyptian measurement practices, the study critically reassesses traditional anthropometric interpretations and highlights their methodological limitations. It argues that persistent variability and functional asymmetry between the Short Cubit and the Royal Cubit cannot be fully explained within a purely linear framework. The paper proposes a methodological reframing in which the Short Cubit is interpreted as a functional measuring instrument whose original purpose may not have been strictly linear, and whose later use as a linear unit reflects historical adaptation within evolving metrological systems. Rather than offering a definitive reconstruction, the study aims to clarify unresolved assumptions and to provide a testable interpretative framework for future research on ancient Egyptian metrology.