Early Man: His Body as Yardstick

The story of measurement begins with the beginning of man. First, man mastered the arts of the mastodon skin tunic and the fresh green-leaf skirt (this year's style is a mini!). Next came shaving and the Prince Valiant haircut. Then: measurement.

Early on, precision was not that important ("any size cave would do"). Later, he learned to use his body as a measuring device. This, however, was not terribly precise.

With the concept of "his body as yardstick" in mind, you can see in this picture how men and women perceived linear measurements differently, as evidenced by the sticks the man and woman have retrieved. This phenomenon continues today.