Technikatörténeti szemle 10. (1978)

A MÉRÉS ÉS A MÉRTÉKEK AZ EMBER MŰVELŐDÉSÉBEN című konferencián Budapesten, 1976. április 27–30-án elhangzott előadások II. - Valtchev, A.–Atanasova, P.: A XIX. sz. közepén Bulgáriában használt mértékrendszerek változásai

A. VALTCHEV— P. ATANASOVA* THE CHANGES IN THE MEASURING SYSTEMS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN BULGARIA IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY The middle of the nineteenth century marks a very important period in the Bulgarian history. This is the epoch of the Renaissance in Bulgaria and this is the time it reaches its climax. Those are years of national rebellions and of a social revolution, when bulgarian nation establishes its own culture and as far as civilisation is concerned, sets up as a perspective nation in Europe. The middle of the century is also marked by the progress of the second stage of the industrial revolution on the Balkans. New power sources were introduced; the traffic had a quick growth; roads and railroads were constructed; harbours were built up; the communications and the press developed; foundations of industry were layed down; commercial and cultured relation with other states were expanded. Those were the main features that characterized the industrial revolution in Bulgaria and the other countries. It is therefore not suprising that the measuring means were developed to a grate extent and the systems of the measuring time, volume, distance and weight were regulated. A special feature of the measuring methods that were used in the middle of the last century is their diversity which is not typical for the rest of Europe. This is mainly due to the variety of the tradition and to the multiform influence of the human factor. There were different systems of units in Bulgaria and they could be classified in the following way: 1. Traditional measuring methods. They have been introduced by the local population to meet its own needs during the centuries. This system is also known as the national measuring system. It has a local character and the standards differ from place to place. Even in very situated settlements one could find different standarts. Different are the standarts for different types of goods, even though similar or the same elements are measured. In fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, for example, before the introduction of uniform system of measures in Bulgaria, variety of measures were used and frequently they had different sizes in diverse times and places. Prom the 15—16 centuries on, the flour and corn were measured by a cart-load, a horse load in a pack-saddle or a saddle, a sack etc. As a criterion of a quantity for goods such as vinegar, must, honey or cheese, a skin or a barrel were used. Fish was measured by a strap. The soleleather, the frieze and other semimanifactured goods were measured by a piece. A pot was a measure for the yoghurt. Fruits were measured by a small wooden pot or a basket. Meat was measured as heads of butchered cattle. * Technical Museum, Sofia.