Historical Units

Palmo

Definición

El palmo es una unidad antigua de longitud igual al ancho de la mano extendida desde la punta del pulgar hasta la punta del meñique, estandarizado en aproximadamente 23 cm (9 pulgadas).

Explicación

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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