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You are here: Home / Human Body / How do your body parts measure up?

How do your body parts measure up?

In ancient civilisation, units of measurement were based on human body parts.   Here’s a few of them…

Cubit – The pyramid builders of Ancient Egypt measure things in cubits.  It was the length of a man’s forearm from elbow to the tip of his middle finger.  The cubit was one of the first recorded units of measurements and was used until the middle ages.

Span – This unit of measurement was based on the width of a hand, stretched out as far as it could go, from thumb tip to pinky finger.

Hand – The width of the four fingers where they meet at the palm is known as a handbreadth.  Used as a unit of length in the ancient world and still used these days to give the height of horses and ponies.

Foot – Don’t be fooled into thinking this is purely the measurement of a mans foot!  In Ancient Greece 16 fingers made up a foot, rather confusingly.  The Romans devised  the measurement of a foot, by using one foot divided into 12 units and measured 29.6cm (12 inches)

Fathom – In Ancient Greece the fathom was two yards, or the distance between the fingertips of a man’s outstretched arm.  Fathoms measured distance on land, but sometime during the 1600’s fathoms became the unit to measure the depth of water.

Yard – there are a few theories on how this measurement is based, some say it may have developed as a double cubit, or the length of a man’s stride, or the distance around your waist.  Also, it has been said that King Henry I  determined that it was the distance between his fingertips and his nose.

Whatever theories or reason’s for these measurements they are all still used today in some shape or form.

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