Historical Units

Spanne

Definition

Die Spanne ist eine alte Längeneinheit gleich der Breite einer ausgestreckten Hand von der Daumenspitze bis zur Spitze des kleinen Fingers, standardisiert auf ungefähr 23 cm (9 Zoll).

Erklärung

Half a cubit, the span was widely used in ancient Hebrew, Greek, and Roman measurement. Goliath's height in the Bible is given as 'six cubits and a span,' roughly 2.9 meters. Like other body-based units, it varied between individuals; standardization came later through royal decrees or reference artifacts. It survives in horse height measurement, where 'hands' (10 cm) replaced the older span.

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