Encyclopaedia of Historical Metrology, Weights, and Measures: Volume 2

977 Pages·2018·23.084 MB·English

by  Jan Gyllenbok

Science Networks
Historical Studies
57
Jan Gyllenbok
Encyclopaedia of
Historical Metrology,
Weights,
and Measures
Volume 2
Science Networks. Historical Studies
ScienceNetworks.HistoricalStudies
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Volume57
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Jan Gyllenbok
Encyclopaedia of
Historical Metrology,
Weights, and Measures
Volume 2
JanGyllenbok
Lomma,Sweden
ISSN1421-6329 ISSN2296-6080 (electronic)
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Preface
This second volume of the Encyclopaedia, as well as the third volume,
addresses many of the units of measure used in sovereign states and land
areas in the modern world, roughly 46,000 different measures in total. By
using“modernworld”inthiscontext,Inormallyrefertotheerastartingwith
the Western European countries’ colonization of land areas, mainly in the
Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania, during the mid-18th century, and
ending in 2016. But for some Western cultures, such as the Anglo-Saxon
and Germanic peoples, Ihave been able to track information about units of
measuregoingbacktoatleastthe800sor900s.
The principal states are recorded alphabetically. Minor states are noted
withinthetextwithcross-referencestothemajorheadingsunderwhichtheir
fullentriesaretobefound.
Astheestimatedvaluesfortheunitsofmeasurementoftenvaryconsider-
ablyfromonesourcetoanother,Ihavechosentomentionthesourcesused
consistentlyattheheadofeachsection.
Lomma,Sweden JanGyllenbok
August2017
v
Contents
NationalSystemsofUnitsandCurrencies:A–C. . . . . . . . . . . . . 679
NationalSystemsofUnitsandCurrencies:D–G. . . . . . . . . . . . 983
NationalSystemsofUnitsandCurrencies:H–I. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1313
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1545
Volume One
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
SystemsofUnits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
A–ZofScientificandInformalMeasures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
TimeMeasurementsandCalendars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
AncientSystemsofWeights,MeasuresandCurrencies. . . . . . . 451
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575
Volume Three
NationalSystemsofUnitsandCurrencies:J–S............... 1649
NationalSystemsofUnitsandCurrencies:T–Z. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2267
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2463
vii
List of Symbols and Abbreviations
! Asymbolforthefactorialexpression,i.e.,8!¼8(cid:2)7(cid:2)6(cid:2)5(cid:2)4(cid:2)3(cid:2)
2(cid:2)1.
% Asymbolforpercentage.
* Analternativemultiplysymbol.
cf. compare
depr. deprecated
D Dutch
Dan Danish
e.g. forexample
Fr French
Fin Finnish
G German
Gr Greek
Heb Hebrew
i.e. thatis
Imp Imperial
L Latin
N Norwegian
OE OldEnglish
OF OldFrench
ON OldNorwegian
OS OldSwedish
q.v. whichsee
Sp Spanish
Swe Swedish
UK UnitedKingdom
US UnitedStates
W Welsh
ix
National Systems of Units and Currencies:
A–C
This chapter compiles the measurementsystems [TECH], [UN55], [UN66], [WAGN2] and
of sovereign states of the modern world; some [WASH]. These sources notwithstanding, this is
are unrecognised states, others are consistent not only a compilation of data from more than
areas and there are also many nations that no four hundred different written sources, but also
longer exist as independent countries. includes some of my own assumptions, in reac-
Conversions to precise metric units are offered tion to instances in which sources have been
as a rough guide for estimation rather than a contradictoryorcontainedobviouserrors.
definitive accounting, which would warrant Below this, you will also find the monetary
sophisticatedsupportingstatisticalanalysis. systems of most countries, as well as a short
The principal states are recorded alphabeti- presentation of the evolution of each system.
cally. Minor states are noted within the text The most utilized sources for this section have
with cross-references to the major headings been [BERL], [BRUC], [CUHA], [CUHA2],
under which their fullentriesare tobefound. A [DUNK], [KAHN], [ROOM], [SNOD] and
short history is included of most states and [YALC]. Since, according to [TOYN], more
sub-states. [TURN] has been a most valuable than 650 separate primitive societies have been
source for this endeavour, as has [CUHA]. The categorized by anthropologists, the monetary
listingsalsoindicatethetimeduringwhichmost systems used in these societies being only
countries adopted the metric system. Because vaguely known, and since the systems used by
metricationisanevolutionaryprocess thattakes themedievalstatesinEuropeandAsiahavenot
place over time, any attempt to assign a single been fully identified, it is difficult to survey and
yeartoacountry’sconversionisonlyanapprox- compilethesesystems.Inaddition,awiderange
imation. Frequently, both old and new systems ofpre-metallicmonieshasbeenusedasmediums
function simultaneously for an indeterminate for exchange, e.g., whale-teeth, Yap stones and
amount of time, often for more than one cowrieshells,aswellascattle.1
generation.
The set of entries is followed by a list of the
main sources, articles, books, personal 1The ovoid shells of the cowrie (especially Monetaria
interviews and correspondences that have been moneta)werecommonlyusedasamediumofexchange
inmanyareasofAfrica,AsiaandthePacificislandsuntil
usedforthisparticularchapter.Themostutilized
the early twentieth century. In ancient China, its picto-
sources are [BAUE], [DOUR], [ECON],
graphwasadoptedinthewrittenlanguage for‘money.’
[GRUN], [GUIL], [KELL4], [KLIM], [KRAE], Cowries were also traded to Native Americans by
€
[KRUG],[MART3],[ROCH],[ROSS],[ROTT], Europeansettlers.Thespermwhale’stooth,alsoknown
as a tambua, was used as money on theFijian groupof
#SpringerInternationalPublishingAG,partofSpringerNature2018 679
J.Gyllenbok,EncyclopaediaofHistoricalMetrology,Weights,andMeasures,ScienceNetworks.
HistoricalStudies57,https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66691-4_1
680 NationalSystemsofUnitsandCurrencies:A–C
Table sections for systems of weights and 1.1 Currency
measures are usually presented under headings
like“unitsofquantities,”“unitsoflength,”“units 2008–: 1Abkhazianapsar(seldomused)
ofarea,”“unitsofvolume,”“unitsofdrycapac- 1993–: 1Russianruble¼100kopek
ity,” “units of liquid capacity” and “units of
weight.” As far as possible, I sought to present
a simple overview of the units of measurement
generally used in each country, well aware that
2 Abyssinia
the measurement practice of any nation must be
influenced by the customs and practices of its
SeeEthiopia.
trading partners. To detail “all” varieties would
certainly occupy a space manifestly dispropor-
tionatetotheirpracticalinterest,anditisdoubt-
ful whether it would provide valuable 3 Achaea
information or simply contribute to greater con-
fusion,causinganevengreaternumberoferrors SeealsoOttomanEmpireandGreece.
to occur. The Scottish historians Ian Levitt and Achaeaisnowthenorthernmostregionofthe
Christopher Smout once expressed these Peloponnese. The Principality of Achaea
thoughts: “Any list that gives local or national (1205–1432), at its zenith, covered most of
standards,howevercomprehensiveandcarefully Morea and Attica in present Greece. It fell to
compiled,needstobeusedwithcaution,because the Ottoman Empire during the mid-fifteenth
slipsareeasilymade,andbecausesuchstandards century, was invaded by Venetians during the
could evidently vary in a disconcerting way late sixteenth century, by the Ottoman Empire
depending on the period of history and even on again later, and finally became part of Greece
districtswithincountries.Weightsandmeasures in1821.
€
areabramblebushfullofgoodfruit,butnoone Mainsource:[KRUG]
cancomeawaycompletelyunscratched.”
3.1 Units of Dry Capacity
1 Abkhazia
ForgraininPatras,basedon[KRU€G,p.326]
SeealsoGeorgia.
Metric
This area is partially recognised as an inde- staro 71.839or89.799L
pendentstate. 22=5or3 bachel 29.933L
islands until the mid-nineteenth century. On Yap, an 4 Aceh Sultanate
island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific
Ocean, stones known as ‘fei’ were used as money until
mid-1960s. Indians in northeastern America used the SeealsoSumatra.
shells of the clam Venus mercenaria and other similar This Kingdom was located in the north of
bivalves.Theshellsaremostlywhite.Thescarcerblue-
Sumatra, from the coronation of the first Sultan
blackshellswereusuallytradedatdoublethepriceofthe
in1496,untiltheendoftheAcehWarin1903.
white.Lastbutnotleast,cows,goats,buffalo,sheep,and
camelswereusedasaprimitivemoney.Thecattlewere Main sources: [BAUE], [KREE], [MARS],
countedbyhead,thusquantitywasmoreimportantthan [SNOU],and[SRC]
qualityinthisrespect.