Historical weights and measures Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Many systems of weights and measures have existed throughout history. The definitions of some of these units were often vague and inaccurate, and although the roots of many of the units were the same, the actual value of a unit differed from country to country, or epoch to epoch. That fact should not lead to a conclusion that historical units of measure were inaccurate in general. Many units were defined to a high precision, and standards of measurement were in many cases excellent. As a case in point, the Great Pyramid of Giza was built to a precision of 15 mm over sides that are 235 m, over four and a half thousand years ago.
The systems of antiquity
Main systems in antiquity
Mesopotamian system
Mesopotamia includes a number of cultures. The Sumerian number system uses a base 60 positional notation, and is the origin for the division of 60 for hours and angles.
Length
Area
Volume
Weight and monetary
Time
Egyptian system
Much of the Egyptian system of measurement is based on the Mesopotamian. The Egyptian system in its turn formed the basis of the later Greek system. The Egyptians based their measurements on the Royal cubit, for which the pharaoh devised a standard (master) cut in granite. From these standards, it is clear that accuracies in measurements of at least 1/16 yeba (1 mm) were possible. Note also the cubit and remen which has a ratio that constitutes an irrational number. The Egyptian system was also noteworthy in having units for volume derived from the standard for length.
While the Royal cubit is a very well defined unit, uncertainty is connected to the units for land measurement, especially when the Greek stadion and schoinos units came in use.
The Egyptians were of fine geometers. They could not calculate the radix of two, but they could draw it. Discovering a good approximation in trigonometry: "Twenty times the radix of two, divided by 28, is very close to unit." So, they wanted to have a 28-digit cubit.
- The Egyptians geometers divided the Nippur Cubit into 28 digits instead of 30 (= ½ × 60 ! in Mesopotamia, inventor of sexagesimal calculation.) – Thus, Egyptians defined the later called "Roman digit".
- 20 (later called) Roman digits is the length the Egyptian construction Remen during the third millennium BC. – The 20-digit measure is called "pygon" in Greek language.
- Centuries later, they used a construction Remen with 20 digits token from the Old Royal Cubit. – Since, the foot of the new Royal Cubit (later called "Shaku" in Japan) and the (later called) Roman foot were related by the ratio: 100 to 98 exactly one.
Length
Area
Volume
Weight
Time
Miscellaneous
Greek system
The Greek system was built mainly upon the Egyptian, and formed the basis of the later Roman system.
Length
Volume
Weight and monetary
Miscellaneous
Roman system
The Roman system of measurement was built on the Greek system with Egyptian influences.
The Roman units were accurate and well documented.
Distances may have been measured by odometers connected to carriage axles, for instance.
| The "theoretical" value of the Nippur ell is: 518 616 µm exactly. Therefore Romain foot is 296 352 µm. This is around 29.64 cm. | |||
- In Antiquity the Roman foot was not divided into inches, i.e. twelve shares.
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This egal 14 400 squared feet or about 0.126 hektar, more exactly one, almost: 1264.673 square metres.
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| The congius is half-a-foot cube. The Roman sester is the sixth of a congius. | |||
- Dry measures :
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| Its almost 26.027 liters. The third part of this quadrantal is the Roman peck. | |||
| The Roman pound is worth three quarters exactly of the Greek mine. Thus the Greek and Roman drachm is related by the ratio 32 to 25. | |||
- Others give 327.453 grams to the Roman pound, i.e. an additional 0.1 percent.
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Vedic measures were first used by the Indian Vedic civilization, and are still in use today – primarily for religious purposes in Hinduism and Jainism.
Up to the introduction of the metric system, almost every town in Germany had their own definitions. It is said that by 1810, only in Baden there were 112 different Ellen.
Some common measures:
This is an Article on Historical weights and measures. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Historical weights and measures Time
Other important systems of Antiquity
Vedic system
Persian system
The Persian system had influence on the Greek system, at least. The ghalva (stadion) and parasang were much used as a land measure. There are significant uncertainty, though.
Length
Volume
Arabic system
The Arabic system is based on the Persian system.
Length
Hebrew
See Hebrew weights
The systems of the Middle Age
Medieval systems still in use
English system
Before the Roman based measurement system was introduced from 1066 onwards, there existed a Anglo-Saxon system of measure based on the units of the barleycorn and the gyrd (rod). This presumably had Germanic origins. Later development of the British system continued by defining the units by law in the Magna Carta of 1215, and issuing measurement standards from the then capital Winchester. Standards were renewed in 1496, 1588 and 1758. The last Imperial Standard Yard in bronze was made in 1845. See: Imperial system of units
Length
Area
Weight
Miscellaneous
US system
The US system is based on the English system from the 1700s. See U.S. customary units.
Abandoned medieval systems
Scottish system
Length
Spanish system
There were several variants, the Castilian is shown.Length
French system
In France, again, there were many local variants. For instance, the lieue could vary from 3.268 km in Beauce to 5.849 km in Provence.
Length
Volume
Weight
German system
Length
Volume
Dutch system
The Dutch system was not standardized until Napolean introduced the metric system so different towns measures with the same names but differing sizes.Weight
Length
Volume
Danish system
From May 1 1683, king Christian V of Denmark introduced an office to oversee weights and measures, a justervæsen, to be led by Ole Rømer. The definition of the alen was set to 2 Rhine feet. Rømer later discovered that differing standards for the Rhine foot existed, and in 1698 an iron Copenhagen standard was made. A pendulum definition for the foot was introduced in 1820, and changed in 1835. The metric system was introduced in 1907.
Length
Volume
Weight
Miscellaneous
Norwegian system
Before 1541, there were no common definition for length measures in Norway, and local variants flourished. In 1541, an alen in Denmark and Norway was defined by law to be the Sjælland alen. Subsequently, the alen was defined by law as 2 Rhine feet from 1683. From 1824, the basic unit was defined as a fot\ being derived from astronomy as the length of a one second pendulum times 12/38 at a latitude of 45°. The metric system was introduced in 1887.
Length
Area
Volume
Weight
Nautical
Monetary
Miscellaneous
Swedish system
In Sweden, a common system for weights and measures was introduced by law in 1665. Before that, there were a number of local variants. The system was slightly revised in 1735. In 1855, a decimal reform was instuted that defined a new Swedish inch as 1/10 foot. It did not last long, because the metric system was subsequently introduced in 1889. Up to the middle of the 19th century there was a death penalty for falsifying weights or measures.
Length
Area
Volume
Weight
Nautical
Monetary
Finnish system
In Finland, approximate measures derived from body parts and were used for a long time, some being later standardised for the purpose of commerce. Some Swedish, and later some Russian units have also been used.
See also
References
External links