In the modern world, special terms are used to measure length, volume, weight. The values of these physical quantities are clearly defined in established units. Before the advent of regulated standards, old units of measurement were used to determine the size of objects or distances.
History
People in the process of life, military and trade activities have long had to determine the volume of goods in the exchange, calculate the area of land, measure distances between cities, use dimensions in construction. The accuracy of the values obtained using the ancient measures could not be guaranteed. The oldest units of measurement are subjective standards, which, in the opinion of a modern person, are absolutely ridiculous in their absurdity.
For example, the Japanese “horse shoe” is the time it takes a horse to wear out a straw horseshoe; Siberian "beech" - the value at which the human eye ceases to distinguish the horns of a bull; Greek "stages" - the distance traveled at a calm pace during the period from the beginning of sunrise to fullthe appearance of the sun above the horizon; Persian "farsakh" - a measure of the length that can be walked in an hour.
Ancient chronicles conveyed information about what ancient units of measurement our ancestors used. To determine the values, they used what was always with them and could be taken as a unit of measure. Parts of the human body and its physical capabilities were used as a measuring instrument: step, handful, elbow, span, sazhen, foot, inch.
Ancient Russia
Descriptive expressions in determining distances are typical for Ancient Russia - “throwing a stone”, “flight of an arrow”, “a day of travel”. These figurative meanings were applicable only to the specific source that performed these actions. There were also other native Russian ancient units of length measurement. The field - a distance equal to 20 versts - is described by Epiphanius the Wise. A quarter - one and a half hectares - was used under Ivan the Terrible.
Historical metrology is a science that studies ancient units of measurement of physical quantities. In the ancient system of measurement, units of measure were not necessarily calculated in decimal quantities. Some values could be matched against each other:
- fathom - equal to 3 arshins,
- span - 4 inches,
- elbow - 2 spans,
- arshin - 2 cubits,
- verst - 500 fathoms.
To avoid confusion, there were special lists in which the ratio of measures was prescribed. However, they were impossibletake as certain values, because even a span could vary in size. The ancient units of measurement of physical quantities occupy a very voluminous list, difficult for modern man to understand. Ancient counting measures - a dozen barrels (12 units), five forty sables (200 pieces), a mass (144 dozen) - in our time can be represented in the form of a familiar decimal system.
Creation of measurement standards in Russia
Ancient units of measurement in Russia were used in all spheres of human activity. Since the 16th century, attempts have been made in Russia to define unified systems of quantities. In the 18th century, in connection with the development of foreign trade, the need arose for precise control measures. It turned out that with a variety of existing units of measures, the creation of standards is not an easy process. By 1736, the ruling Senate formed the Commission of Weights and Measures under the leadership of Count Golovkin, where exemplary measures were taken, a project was created on the decimal principle of measurement values.
At that time, foreign coins and precious metals were weighed upon importation at customs and upon receipt at mints - the weight was different everywhere. The exemplary scales of the customs of St. Petersburg, transported to the Senate, were taken as a reference sample. The ruler of Peter I was taken as an exemplary measure of length. Chetverik of the Moscow customs determined the unit of bulk measure.
Unified measurement system in Europe and Russia
Even during the reign of Peter the Great, Russia partially adopted the English metric system. The metrological reform was adopted to develop international trade and the fleet, and feet, yards and inches received special use in shipbuilding. Under Nicholas I, in October 1835, a decree was adopted that determined the Russian system of weights and measures. At the end of May 1875, representatives of tsarist Russia agreed to the Meter Convention. Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev paid great attention to the work on the law on the metric system, which was recognized as mandatory only by 1917.
On January 1, 1927, the Nuremberg scale system used by pharmacists was replaced with the metric system.
Ancient measures in folklore and creativity
In the everyday speech of a modern Russian person, the old units of measurement and the words denoting them are preserved in expressions inherent in oral folklore:
- square letters - write large,
- seven spans in the forehead - an indicator of the mind,
- Kolomenskaya verst is a very tall person,
- oblique fathom in the shoulders - a man of powerful physique,
- from a pot two inches - small growth.
Ancient definitions can often be found in books describing historical events, in poems and fairy tales.
Length
Old units of length used in Russia after the adoption of the Decree in 1835 and until 1917:
- finger - about 2 centimeters,
- nail - just over 1 centimeter,
- top - about 4.5 centimeters,
- quarter - 17.8 centimeters,
- elbow- according to various sources, from 38 to 47 centimeters,
- arshin - 71, 12 centimeters,
- foot - about 30.5 centimeters,
- fathom - 2.14 meters (the division into oblique fathom -2.5 meters and flywheel - 1.76 meters was adopted),
- 1 verst - 1.07 kilometers.
Some units of measure were invented by our ancestors to determine the area. These physical quantities were used to determine the size of land plots, in construction, and games. Also, these indicators served as a measure for calculating taxes on land. The most famous measures of area, the names of which can be found in ancient charters, are a square verst, a plow, a quarter, a tithe.
The smallest ancient units of length used in modern metrology, lines. Wheat grain is taken as the basis of the value. This figure is about 2.5mm.
Volume
The ancient units of measurement for bulk and liquid bodies were called bread and wine measures. In the distant 15th century, amazing golvage (s alt containers), onions and harvests (for grain) were used. Depending on the geographical location, the Vyatka grain marten, the Smolensk barrel, the Permian sapsa, the Old Russian bast and the poshev differed.
In everyday life and trade, household utensils were used for measurements: boilers, ladles, jugs, pots, tubs, brothers, horseshoes. The capacity of such values fluctuated in a significant range: the boiler could be from half a bucket to 20 buckets.
Mass
The system of measures of Ancient Russia included ancient units of mass measurement, without which it was impossible to conduct trade relations. Among them:
- Gran - 0.062 grams, pharmaceutical unit of mass.
- Spool - 4, 266 grams, as a weight unit survived until the twentieth century, equal to the coin of the same name.
- Eight - 50 grams, this measure of weight took its name from 1/8 of a pound.
- Lot - 12, 797 grams, was equal to three spools.
- Pound - 410 grams, originally called the hryvnia. This is the basic unit of mass for retail trade and crafts, equal to 96 spools, it was used to determine the weight of precious metals.
- Pood - 40 pounds, 16.38 kg. It is known that the use of this measure of weight has been in demand since the 12th century. It was canceled only in 1924
- Batman - 4, 1 kg.
- Berkovets - 163.8 kg, a large measure of weight for wholesale. It comes from the name of the island of Bjork. It was equivalent to 10 poods. There is a known mention of this measure in the statutory charter of the XII century.
Foreign language measures
In modern life, the basis of the measurement system is the kilogram, meter and second. These values are familiar and reliable. However, the old units of measurement in physics are still used by some countries.
UK:
- An English pint is approximately 0.57 liters.
- A fluid ounce is 30 milliliters.
- Barrel - for various substances, it does not differ significantly in volume, equal to approximately 159 liters. It can serve as a measure of the volume of oil, it is also known for beer,"French", "English" barrel.
- Carat - 0.2 grams. Used to determine the mass of precious stones.
- Ounce - 28.35 grams. Used to measure the weight of precious metals.
- English pound - 0.45 kilograms.
Chinese measures:
- 1 Li - 576 meters.
- 1 liang - 37.3 grams.
- 1 fen - 0.32 cm.
For a long time, mankind has needed a system for measuring various physical quantities. It was necessary to measure weight and volume, to determine the distance, to know the time. The importance of accurate measurements increased as society developed. In modern life, new terms are used to measure quantities, but ancient measures often flash in fiction or in everyday speech. Knowing the ancient meanings of metric data allows you to save history.
