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Earliest known systems

The inhabitants of theIndus Valley Civilization (30001500 BC. Mature period 26001900 BC)

developed a sophisticated procedure of standardization, using weights and measures, evident by the

excavations made at the Indus valley sites.[1] This technical standardization enabled gauging

devices to be effectively used in angular measurement and measurement for construction.

[1]Calibrationwas also found in measuring devices along with multiple subdivisions in case of some

devices.[1]

The earliest known uniform systems of weights and measures seem all to have been created at some

time in the 4thand 3rd millennia BC among the ancient peoples ofEgypt, Mesopotamiaand theIndus

Valley, and perhaps also Elam (in Iran) as well. The most astounding of these ancient systems was

perhaps that of the Indus Valley Civilization (ca. 2600 BC). The Indus Valley peoples achieved great

accuracy in measuring length, mass, and time. Their measurements were extremely precise since

their smallest division, which is marked on an ivory scale found inLothal, was approximately

1.704 mm (1/16 inch), the smallest division ever recorded on a scale of the Bronze Age.

The decimal system was thought to be used but in fact, feet and inches are a more accurate

indication of the measure used. The measuring devices found in the Indus Valley actually meet thestandards used in South Indian architecture and engineering which are feet and inches. In Tamil

Nadu, the inch is used in architectural forms per traditional Vaastu Shastras. Traditional architectural

forms are built to 1/16 of an inch which is the smallest unit of measure found in the Indus Valley. In

addition, the "yard sticks" used in Indus Valley (and in Tamil Nadu) measure exactly 33 inches and

are divided into 24 units of 1 inches. The 1 inch is considered to be an angula. A unit of measure

33 inches long is called a hasta, kishku or muzam. A half hasta was also found in the Indus Valley

measuring exactly 16 inches (12 angula at 1 inches). This measure is currently used by

traditional architects such as Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati who comes from an ancient tradition of Shilpis.

The discovery of the relationship between Indus Valley measurement (using feet and inches rather

than metric measure) and current and traditional Indian architecture per Vaastu Shastras was made

by Dr. Jessie J. Mercay, Chancellor of The American University of Mayonic Science and Technology.

Weights were based on units of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500, with each

unit weighing approximately 28 grams, similar to the English ounce or Roman uncia, and smaller

objects were weighed in similar ratios with the units of 0.871.

Other systems were based on the use of parts of the body and the natural surroundings as

measuring instruments. Ancient Indian measurements related to the body are corelated to the finger

measure of 1 inch. This measure is found throughout the human body in increments. It is the

measure used to build ancient temples and is precisely related to the Indus Valley measuring

devices. EarlyBabylonian andEgyptian records and theBible indicate that length was first measured

with the forearm, hand, or finger and that time was measured by the periods of the sun, moon, and

other heavenly bodies. When it was necessary to compare the capacities of containers such

as gourdsorclayor metal vessels, they were filled with plant seeds which were then counted to

measure thevolumes. When means for weighing were invented, seeds and stones served as

standards. For instance, the carat, still used as a unit for gems, was derived from the carobseed.

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[edit]History of units

[edit]Units of length

The Egyptian cubit, theIndus Valleyunits of length referred to above and the Mesopotamian cubit

were used in the 3rd millennium BC and are the earliest known units used by ancient peoples to

measure length. The measures of length used in ancient India included the dhanus (bow), the krosa

(cry, or cow-call) and the jojana (stage).

The common cubit was the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. It was

divided into the span of the hand (one-half cubit), the palm or width of the hand (one sixth), and the

digit or width of the middle finger (one twenty-fourth) and the span or the length between the tip of

little finger to the tip of the thumb. The Sacred Cubit, which was a standard cubit enhanced by an

extra spanthus 7 spans or 28 digits longwas used in constructing buildings and monuments and

in surveying in ancient Egypt. Theinch, foot, and yard evolved from these units through a

complicated transformation not yet fully understood. Some believe they evolved from cubic

measures; others believe they were simple proportions or multiples of the cubit. In whichever case,

the Greeks and Romans inherited the foot from the Egyptians. The Roman foot (~296 mm) was

divided into both 12 unciae (inches) (~24.7 mm) and 16 digits (~18.5 mm). The Romans also

introduced the mille passus(1000 paces) or double steps, the pace being equal to five Roman feet

(~1480 mm). The Roman mile of 5000 feet (1480 m) was introduced into England during the

occupation.Queen Elizabeth I(reigned from 1558 to 1603) changed, by statute, the mile to 5280 feet

(~1609 m) or 8 furlongs, a furlong being 40 rod (unit)s (~201 m) of 5.5 yards (~5.03 m)each.

The introduction of the yard (0.9144 m) as a unit of length came later, but its origin is not definitely

known. Some believe the origin was the double cubit, others believe that it originated from cubic

measure. Whatever its origin, the early yard was divided by the binary method into 2, 4, 8, and 16

parts called the half-yard, span, finger, and nail. The association of the yard with the "gird" or

circumference of a person's waist or with the distance from the tip of the nose to the end of the

thumb ofKing Henry I (reigned 11001135) are probably standardizing actions, since several yards

were in use in Britain. There were also Rods, Poles and Perches for measurements of length. The

following table lists the equivalents.

Length

12 lines = 1 inch

12 inches = 1 foot

3 feet = 1 yard

1760 yards = 1 mile

36 inches = 1 yard

440 yards = quarter mile

880 yards = half mile

100 links = 1 chain

10 chains = 1 furlong

8 furlongs = 1 mile

4 inches = 1 hand

22 yards = 1 chain

5.5 yards = 1 rod, pole or perch

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4 poles = 1 chain

40 poles = 1 furlong

[edit]Typographical units

The point, which is a unit for measuring print type, is recent. It originated with Pierre Simon

Fournier in 1737. It was modified and developed by the Didot brothers, Francois Ambroise and Pierre

Francois, in 1755. The point was first used in the United States in 1878 by a Chicago type foundry(Marder, Luse, & Co.). Since 1886, a point has been exactly 0.3514598 millimeters, or 1/72.27 inch.

The picain any of several related systems measures 12 points.

[edit]Units of mass

The grain was the earliest unit of mass and is the smallest unit in theapothecary, avoirdupois, Tower,

and troy systems. The early unit was a grain of wheat or barleycorn used to weigh the precious

metals silver and gold. Larger units preserved in stone standards were developed that were used as

both units of mass and of monetary currency. The pound was derived from the mina used by ancient

civilizations. A smaller unit was the shekel, and a larger unit was the talent. The magnitude of these

units varied from place to place. The Babylonians and Sumerians had a system in which there were

60 shekels in a mina and 60 minas in a talent. The Roman talent consisted of 100 libra (pound) which

were smaller in magnitude than the mina. The troy pound (~373.2 g) used in England and the United

States for monetary purposes, like the Roman pound, was divided into 12 ounces, but the Roman

uncia (ounce) was smaller. The carat is a unit for measuring gemstones that had its origin in the

carob seed, which later was standardized at 1/144 ounce and then 0.2 gram.

Goods of commerce were originally traded by number or volume. When weighing of goods began,

units of mass based on a volume of grain or water were developed. For example, the talent in some

places was approximately equal to the mass of one cubic foot of water. Was this a coincidence or by

design? The diverse magnitudes of units having the same name, which still appear today in our dry

and liquid measures, could have arisen from the various commodities traded. The larger avoirdupois

pound for goods of commerce might have been based on volume of water which has a higher bulkdensity than grain. For example, the Egyptian hon was a volume unit about 11 per cent larger than a

cubic palm and corresponded to one mina of water. It was almost identical in volume to the present

U.S. pint (~473 mL).

The stone, quarter, hundredweight, and ton were larger units of mass used in Britain. Today only the

stone continues in customary use for measuring personal body weight. The present stone is 14

pounds (~6.35 kg), but an earlier unit appears to have been 16 pounds (~7.25 kg). The other units

were multiples of 2, 8, and 160 times the stone, or 28, 112, and 2240 pounds (~12.7 kg, 50.8 kg,

1016 kg), respectively. The hundredweight was approximately equal to two talents. The ton of 2240

pounds is called the "long ton". The "short ton" is equal to 2000 pounds (~907 kg). A tonne (t) is

equal to 1000 kg.

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[edit]Units of time and angle

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http://wiki/File:HinduMeasurements.svg

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Hindu units of time on a logarithmic scale.

We can trace the division of the circle into 360 degrees and the day into hours, minutes, and seconds

to the Babylonians who had sexagesimal system of numbers. The 360 degrees may have been

related to a year of 360 days. Many other systems of measurement divided the day differently;

other calendarsdivided the year differently.

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