Ancient
Surveying
Ancient
Egyptian surveyors were part of a land administration system
that was responsible for measuring and taxing land along
the Nile River. Surveyors measured parcels of land and used
stone markers to distinguish each for taxation. The Nile River
flooded annually altering the amount of land available for
cultivation and taxation each year. Consequently, surveyors
were required to measure each land parcel and replace the stone
markers following the yearly inundation. Surveyors also played
a fundamental role in the construction of Ancient Egypt’s
monuments. Aligning the Great Pyramid with the cardinal directions
and providing a level base for construction fell on the shoulders
of early surveyors.
The Ancient Egyptians had limited mathematical knowledge and
only used primitive surveying tools. The most important tool
for the land administration system was the 100 cubits long
knotted rope. Similar to the Surveyors’ Chain used in
the 18th century, the Egyptian measuring cord had knots tied
every cubit to provide a standard of measurement.
Building on the Egyptian tradition, Classical Greek and Roman
civilizations refined surveying with the expanded use of mathematics.
Greeks surveyors were instrumental in laying out city grids
and building monuments such as the Parthenon. Utilizing the
knowledge passed to them through the Greeks, the Romans laid
out miles of roads and canals across Europe – some of
which are still in existence today.
|