How Egyptians Measured Without Rulers

Long before rulers or measuring tapes, ancient Egyptians had a handy solution. They used “cubits,” a unit based on the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.

The cubit wasn’t just a rough guess. It became a standard way to measure, especially in construction and architecture. Builders even carried special “cubit rods” to keep measurements consistent.

There were two versions: the royal cubit (about 20.6 inches) and the common cubit (around 17.5 inches). These helped ancient Egyptians build everything from homes to massive temples and pyramids—with impressive precision.

The idea of using the body for measurement wasn’t unique to Egypt. Other cultures used hands, feet, and even thumbs. Ever heard the term “hand” to measure a horse? That dates back to ancient times, too—one hand equals four inches.

Of course, using body parts had its challenges. Not everyone’s forearm is the same length. That’s why standardized tools, like cubit rods, became so important over time.

Still, it’s a fun reminder that people solved practical problems by using their bodies before calculators, lasers, or apps.

Try This at Home:
Ask your kid to measure a table using their forearm. How many “cubits” long is it? Now have someone else try. Whose cubits are bigger?