Ancient Millimeter-Precise Ruler Unearthed in the Burnt City

1/31/05

Tehran, Jan. 31 (Iranian Cultural Heritage News Agency) - An Ancient ruler with half a millimeter precision was discovered in the Burnt City, Sistan-Baluchistan, southeast of Iran.

The Burnt City which is located a few kilometers out of Zabol, Sistan-Baluchistan province, dates back to some 5000 years ago and belongs to a developed civilization living at the time when cities of the world were just beginning to form.

Recent excavations in the archeological site of the Burnt City led to the discovery of a ruler with millimeter measurement units. Experts believe now that the ancient residents of the city used precise units for measurements and was skilled in areas of mathematics and geometry.

"During the recent excavations, we found a piece of ebony wood 10-centimeter long with some cuts which have evidently been made with a sharp tool. After carrying out the necessary tests and studying the wood under microscope, we found out that the cuts were divided in one millimeter and half millimeter measures," head of the excavation team, Dr. Mansour Sajjadi, told CHN.

The piece of wood has therefore been identified as a ruler used in subtle industrial works of the city. Its measurement precision (one millimeter and half a millimeter) indicates that mathematics and geometry were developed at that time.

Sajjadi believes that people have had other tools for measurement, but the discovered ruler was used in their subtle works such as jewelry creating, in which they were skillful.

So far many valuable items, including one of the first examples of animation and backgammon, have been discovered there.