Halacha uses many units of length (amot/cubits), volume (k'zayit/olive), etc. There are multiple opinions regarding how to translate these into modern equivalent units. For instance, the Chazon Ish says an amah/cubit is 56-58 cm, while Rabbi Chayim Na'eh says it is 45-48 cm.
There have been a great deal of archaeological findings in Israel in the last 200 years regarding how Jews lived during the Biblical and post-Biblical periods. Has anyone attempted to apply these findings to determine accurate conversions for these various halachic measurements?
For example, Yisrael Finkelstein, the lead archaeologist in the Shiloh excavations believes he has identified the location of the original Mishkan (Tabernacle) based on excavated foundation stones along a length of approx. 25 meters (about 50 amot, the length of the Mishkan). Has anyone (presumably in the academic world), made a detailed study of such findings in order to weigh in on the relevant halachic debates?
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