Measuring things, such as distances , heights or time is something we do practically every day and although we all know the tools that are used for it, many others have been the measuring instruments that have been used throughout history. Let us now know which were the first measuring instruments.
This is how the first measuring instruments were
Where do the tools we use to measure come from? The truth is that there is a wide variety of gadgets and devices that have been used to measure time, space, temperature and more over the years. But if we are to really look back and go to the beginning of time, these would be some of the first measuring instruments that were used.
Royal cubit in 3,000 BC
The ancient Egyptians used their hands and feet to measure length and width. The inch was the size of his thumb and the foot was, well, his foot. Since these lengths always varied, the royal cubit was introduced, which although it sounds somewhat implausible, consisted of a granite rod that used the dimensions of the current king as a standard to measure objects.
Water clocks (16th century BC) and Hourglass (8th century)
The water clock, also known as an hourglass, measured time by the amount of water dripping from a tank. The hourglass , which made its debut hundreds of years later, works on a similar principle but uses sand instead. The latter watch is still used occasionally today although most of the time to teach children to measure time or as something anecdotal.
Obelisks (2,500 BC) and sundials (293)
In ancient Egyptian villages as well as in the Babylonian ones there were giant towers called obelisks to track the time of day based on the shadow of the sun . The smaller, more portable versions of obelisks were known as sundials.
Roman calendar (753 BC)
Early civilizations had a hard time agreeing on a correct way to control time. However, it is the Roman calendar that we have been using for the last 2,500 years.
Rules (16th century)
William Bedwell invented the rule around the same time creativity was at its highest. The Mona Lisa, the Sistine Chapel, and many other great works of art made their debut.
Barometers (1643)
We know who Galileo was, but not so well known is his assistant Evangelista Torricelli, the Italian physicist who is credited with inventing the barometer. He came up with the idea after dipping a glass tube in a mercury bath and discovering that the level varied with changes in the weather.
These are just some of the first measuring instruments, although we do not forget others invented centuries ago such as sextants (1731) created to measure the angle between an astronomical object, such as a planet, with the horizon or also, mercury thermometers ( created in 1714).
