Ancient Measuring Tools For Length

Ancient people used their different body parts such as arm and foot to measure length.

Ancient measuring tools for length.

From the smallest to the largest ones and from the most ancient to the top notch ones all the length measuring devices typically serve different kinds of range. Try to step back in time and imagine a world without measurement tools. Archaeologists have uncovered many simple measurement tools along with units of measurement used by ancient societies. That being said you ll never find a one fits all length measuring device in a tool.

Luckily we ve come a long way from the days of using belts thumbs and cubits for measurement but it s always nice to know more about the tools you. Some of the standard instruments used to measure length are a ruler meter scale measuring tape vernier caliper and screw gauge. Ancient modern instruments for measurement of length to measure very long lengths like the length of a road we use measuring tape or an odometer. Ancient egyptians used their hands and feet to measure length and width.

Often considered the first unit of measurement the cubit was developed by the ancient egyptians and was the length of the arm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger about 18 inches. Since these lengths always varied the royal cubit was introduced which was a granite rod that used the current king s dimensions as the standard by which to measure objects. 14 tools to measure length 1. There are actually countless devices to measure length.

An inch was the width of a man s thumb a hand was literally meant five fingers across a span was the length of an outstretched arm and the yard in the 12th century was the distance from king henry i s nose to the thumb of his. The inch was the size of their thumb and the foot was well their foot. People in ancient times used the different parts of their bodies to size things up. The most natural way to measure length is to compare it to some part of the body and for centuries people did just that the unit we call a foot has been used since ancient times.

For its part an inch was traditionally the width of an average thumb but edward ii of england ruled in the 14th century.