The invention of the Ruler

One of the earliest civilizations to create a standard system of weights and measures was that of the Indus Valley. A copper-alloy bar from one of its locations is the oldest measuring rod known to science. Around 2400 BCE, a ruler measuring approximately 1/16 inch, or slightly less than 2 mm, was discovered at the Lothal during the unrevealing. It has been determined to be around 4400 years old.

The ruler is divided into sections that measure 1.32 inches (33.5 mm), and these sections are marked out with astounding accuracy to within 0.005 of an inch. These units correspond to the dimensions of ancient bricks found across IVC. One of these rulers is calibrated to 1.704 mm, which is the tiniest division ever identified on a Bronze Age scale. The accuracy of the weights derived from IVC sites has been astounding. They use a binary decimal system, with each unit weighing roughly 0.85 grams and going from 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, up to 12,800. A few of the weights are so small that jewelers could have used them to weigh precious metals.