Fathoming Fort Ross

Archaeologists and historians studying Fort Ross have relied heavily on several inventories written in French and Spanish which were prepared in 1841 when the Russians put their holdings in California on the market. The linear measurements in these inventories were expressed in "fathoms." These have been translated into English and rendered into "feet." However, a reinterpretation of the figures suggests that they may be off by 16 percent. This new interpretation is supported by an early (1817) Russian map of Fort Ross as well as the results of three archaeological excavations. Due to the extensive nature of the inventory data and its potential use to archaeologists in their study of the Russian settlements in California, this correction of the linear measurements is of great importance.