Don’t have a measuring tape? Worry not! Some cultures have…
Don’t have a measuring tape? Worry not! Some cultures have measured distances using their hands as shown in the diagram below. The palm (3 below) was originally the width of the palm. The related shaftment (1 below) and hand (2 below) were the width of the palm plus an open or closed thumb. The other units are the span (4 below) and finger (5 below). Is the palm an accurate unit of measurement?