The science of measurement, metrology, was invented by the Egyptians during the Bronze Age. Its creation was inspired by a lust for money as Pharaoh Sesostris wanted to measure and tax his subjects' arable land. Units of measurement were typically based on parts of the human body or a man’s capacity: the digit, palm, foot and pace for example. Not surprisingly there were many local variations, but as trade between cities and states increased there were attempts to introduce standard quantities of everything. The Greek king Pheidon is widely recognised as the creator of the first set of agreed common weights and measures.
