Survey History

What is Surveying

Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is called a land surveyor.

These points are usually on the surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish maps and boundaries for ownership, locations, such as the designed positions of structural components for construction or the surface location of subsurface features, or other purposes required by government or civil law, such as property sales.

Surveyors work with elements of geodesy, geometry, trigonometry, regression analysis, physics, engineering, metrology, programming languages, and the law. They use equipment, such as total stations, robotic total stations, theodolites, GNSS receivers, retroreflectors, 3D scanners, LiDAR sensors, radios, inclinometer, handheld tablets, optical and digital levels, subsurface locators, drones, GIS, and surveying software.

Surveying has been an element in the development of the human environment since the beginning of recorded history. The planning and execution of most forms of construction require it. It is also used in transport, communications, mapping, and the definition of legal boundaries for land ownership, and is an important tool for research in many other scientific disciplines.

Survey History

It is quite probable that surveying had its origin in ancient Egypt. The Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza was built about 2700 BCE, 755 feet (230 meters) long and 481 feet (147 meters) high. Its nearly perfect squareness and north–south orientation affirm the ancient Egyptians’ command of surveying.

In Roman history, Terminus was the god who protected boundary markers. Terminus was the Latin word for such a marker and sacrifices were performed to sanctify each boundary marker. He had neither feet nor arms to symbolize that he never moved from whatever place he occupied. To keep on good terms with Terminus and to perpetuate the ancient boundary marks, annual celebrations called ‘terminalia’ were held each year. The practice in some jurisdictions of annually walking the boundaries may be a faint echo of these ancient rites. The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill was thought to have been built over a shrine to Terminus.

Evidence of some form of boundary surveying as early as 1400 BCE has been found in the fertile valleys and plains of the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile rivers. Clay tablets of the Sumerians show records of land measurement and plans of cities and nearby agricultural areas. Boundary stones marking land plots have been preserved. There is a representation of land measurement on the wall of a tomb at Thebes (1400 BCE) showing head and rear chainmen measuring a grainfield with what appears to be a rope with knots or marks at uniform intervals. Other persons are shown. Two are of high estate, according to their clothing, probably a land overseer and an inspector of boundary stones.