Sources of Information

Weights and measures have taken a great variety of forms over the course of
history, from simple informal expectations in barter transactions to elaborate
state and supranational systems that integrate measures of many different
kinds. Weights and measures from the oldest societies can often be inferred
at least in part from archaeological specimens, often preserved in museums.
[citation needed]
The comparison of the dimensions of buildings with the
descriptions of contemporary writers is another source of information. An
interesting example of this is the comparison of the dimensions of the Greek
Parthenon with the description given by Plutarch from which a fairly accurate
idea of the size of the Attic foot is obtained. Because of the comparative
volume of artifacts and documentation, we know much more about the statesanctioned measures of large, advanced societies than we do about those of
smaller socieities or about the informal measures that often coexisted with
official ones throughout history. In some cases, we have only plausible
theories and we must sometimes select the interpretation to be given to the
evidence.
By studying the evidence given by all available sources, and by correlating
the relevant facts, we obtain some idea of the origin and development of the
units. We find that they have changed more or less gradually with the
passing of time in a complex manner because of a great variety of modifying
influences.[citation needed] It is possible to group official measurement systems for
large societies into historical systems that are relatively stable over time,
including: the Babylonian system, the Egyptian system, the Phileterian
system of the Ptolemaic age, the Olympic system of Greece, the Roman
system, the British system, and the metric system.

Earliest known systems

The earliest known uniform systems of weights and measures seem all to
have been created at some time in the 4th and 3rd millennia BC among the
ancient peoples of Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, and perhaps
also Elam (in Iran) as well.
Further information: History of measurement systems in India
The system attributed to the Indus Valley Civilization (ca. 2600 BC) is
sometimes cited as particularly accurate.[1] Based on an ivory scale found in
Lothal, their smallest unit corresponded to approximately 1.704 mm
(0.067 in), the smallest division ever recorded on a scale of the Bronze Age.[2]
[3]

Early Babylonian and Egyptian records and the Hebrew Bible 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
gourds or clay or metal vessels, they were filled with plant seeds which were

then counted to measure the volumes. 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 carob seed.

History of units
Units of length
The Egyptian cubit, the Indus Valley units 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 units of length
used in ancient India included the dhanus (bow), the krosa (cry, or cow-call)
and the yojana (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 or the length
between the tip of little finger to the tip of the thumb (one-half cubit), the
palm or width of the hand (one sixth), and the digit or width of the middle
finger (one twenty-fourth). The Royal Cubit, which was a standard cubit
enhanced by an extra palmthus 7 palms or 28 digits longwas used in
constructing buildings and monuments and in surveying in ancient Egypt.
The inch, 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 of King 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.