A history of measurement
>40,000 BCE
Movements of the Sun, stars and planets are used by Aboriginal people to measure the passage of time across a day, a night and a year. Distances are mapped using landmarks along songlines, as people navigate across the landscape.
3000 BCE
The ancient Sumerians, in the Middle East, create a system of numerals with a base of 60. We still use this ‘sexagesimal’ system today in the measurement of angles, geographic coordinates and time.
2750 BCE
One of the first well-established standard measurement
