Derivation of Units

Body Dimensions Land Measures

Thumb Furlong
1" broad or length of first joint A furrow long 220 yards
22 furrows per acre
Cubit A mile was 8 furlongs
From the point of the elbow to the tip of A furlong was ten chains long
the middle finger
Thus a cubit is about 18" long Pole
An Egyptian cubit was about 20.6" (ox yoke) 1/40 of a furrow – the
distance needed to turn a team of oxen:
Hand the radius of a turning circle
Width of the hand across the palm – 4”. There were 40 poles in a furlong
Used for measuring the height of horses
Perch
Span/ Handspan A quarter of a chain – 5 ½ yards
Distance between the end of the thumb A square Perch was thus 1/160 th of an
and the outstretched fingers – about 8” acre
Armspan/ Fathom Rod
Distance between tips of the fingers of The length of the stick or whip carried by
outstretched arms – about 6feet the driver of the ox team
Hence a useful way of measuring rope
and so depth Rood
The area of a strip 1 furlong long by one
Yard rod
From the end of the nose to the tip of the Hence holy rood - graveyard
fingers – originally King Henry’s nose Acre
and fingers! The area which could be ploughed by one
Hence a clothyard and a clothyard arrow. team in a day
A yard is about 2 cubits 4840 Square yards
Dimensions of 1 chain x 1 furlong
Foot
Based on the average length of a foot Chain
Greek foot - 11.69" Literally a standard chain of this length
Athenian foot - 12.45" 22 yards
Roman foot - 11.61" A tenth of a furlong
Medieval English foot - 12.45"