How measurement came to be?

Answer 1

They would have been introduced for consistency and fairness in trade. If a farmer brought a sheep to market and wanted to sell it for olive oil (this is before money was invented) He might have been offered X bottles of olive oil for it. The next trader would possibly say "But I'll give you X + 15 bottles for it. Now the first trader comes back and says "I'm still offerring X bottles but his bottles are smaller than mine. How is the farmer to know which deal is the best exchange for his sheep? They need a standard sized bottle, or a weighing system - or maybe even both.

Answer 2

In some respects measurements came to be because of taxation! Rulers wanted to raise money by taxing their subjects: to finance their own pleasures as well as for carrying out functions for their realm: such as maintaining an army, paying counsels and soothsayers and so on. In order to raise taxes they had to know what each subject could afford and so what they were worth. If they knew how much land farmers had and what it was used for, they would have a good idea as to how much money they could be expected to make. Other measures were soon found for other occupations.

People also found it useful for trading with one another. If I had a goat to sell and one farmer was offering me an urn or wheat and another was offering me two urns, I would want to know how the volumes of the urns compared (cue measures for volume or mass). Similarly, if two weavers were offering me pieces of fabric (cue measures for area). Not only that, but it soon became apparent that it would be of great advantage if everyone used the same - or related - measures for measuring the same attribute.

Answer 3

1000 b.c.