NATIONAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Amafel Building, Aguinaldo Highway, Dasmariñas, Cavite

Tel. No.: (046)416-6278 ● Telefax: (046)416-0166 ● Mobile No.:+63918-888-6278
www.ncst.edu.ph

ASSIGNMEN
T
IN
SURVEYI
NG
 NATIONAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Amafel Building, Aguinaldo Highway, Dasmariñas, Cavite
Tel. No.: (046)416-6278 ● Telefax: (046)416-0166 ● Mobile No.:+63918-888-6278
www.ncst.edu.ph

NAME: ANTHONY S. LOPERA

INSTRUCTOR: MS. GLECY DELA
CUESTA

BS in ARCHITECTURE

SURVEYING
Surveying is a means of making relatively large-scale, accurate measurements of the
Earth’s surfaces. It includes the determination of the measurement data, the reduction and
interpretation of the data to usable form, and, conversely, the establishment of relative position
and size according to given measurement requirements. Thus, surveying has two similar but
opposite functions: (1) the determination of existing relative horizontal and vertical position,
such as that used for the process of mapping, and (2) the establishment of marks to
control construction or to indicate land boundaries.
Surveying has been an essential element in the development of the human environment for so
many centuries that its importance is often forgotten. It is an imperative requirement in the
planning and execution of nearly every form of construction. Surveying was essential at the
dawn of history, and some of the most significant scientific discoveries could never have
been implemented were it not for the contribution of surveying. Its principal modern uses are in
the fields of transportation, building, apportionment of land, and communications.
 NATIONAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Amafel Building, Aguinaldo Highway, Dasmariñas, Cavite
Tel. No.: (046)416-6278 ● Telefax: (046)416-0166 ● Mobile No.:+63918-888-6278
www.ncst.edu.ph

Except for minor details of technique and the use of one or two minor hand-held instruments,
surveying is much the same throughout the world. The methods are a reflection of the
instruments, manufactured chiefly in Switzerland, Austria, Great Britain, the United States,
Japan, and Germany. Instruments made in Japan are similar to those made in the West.

First Land Surveyors: Ancient Egypt, 1,400 B.C.

Land surveying is an ancient practice that dates back at least to 1,400 B.C., when the ancient
Egyptians used land surveying for the taxation of land plots. Four thousand years ago, Egyptians
used measuring ropes, plumb bobs, and other instruments to gauge the dimensions of plots of
land. The name for Egyptian surveyors was “harpedonaptae,” which means “rope stretchers”
through translation. Here’s how they used ropes for accurate measurements:
The Egyptians would stretch a piece of rope between two stakes and rub it down with resin and
beeswax, treating it so it would hold its length.
The surveyors then used the treated rope to measure distances, sometimes tying it in knots at
intervals that marked significant places.
They also used plumb bombs and sighting/leveling tools to measure vertical distances. Two
short-distance leveling devices (one using water and one using an A-frame) used in land
surveying were also employed in the creation of pyramids.
The information we know about land surveying in ancient Egypt is limited, and stems from only
a handful of hieroglyphs and artifacts. However, we do know their techniques were incredibly
accurate – the Great Pyramid of Giza (built 2,700 B.C.) has a near-perfect north-south
orientation.

Land Surveying in Mesopotamia, 400 B.C.

An early surveying instrument that came after the Egyptian’s rope method is the Groma. The
Romans and Greeks used the Groma in land surveying as early as 400 B.C. This surveying
instrument came from Mesopotamia. This tool was used by the Romans, and it helped establish
land surveying as a profession for the first time in history. The Groma established basic terms of
measurements the Romans used to divide the Roman Empire for taxation. The Romans regarded
land surveying as a true, even noble profession. They referred to Terminus as the god who
protected boundaries.

Chinese Invent the First Magnetic Compass, 221-206 B.C.

 NATIONAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Amafel Building, Aguinaldo Highway, Dasmariñas, Cavite
Tel. No.: (046)416-6278 ● Telefax: (046)416-0166 ● Mobile No.:+63918-888-6278
www.ncst.edu.ph

In the Qin dynasty in China, around 221-206 B.C., the first magnetic compass was born, and it
would become a mainstay in land surveying. The Chinese invented the magnetic compass using
an iron oxide mineral that aligns itself north to south (lodestone). They fashioned the lodestone
into a spoon shape, with a handle that would always point south. They used the first compass to
mark constellations and map out important points and boundaries.

Greeks Create the Diopter, 120 B.C

Around 120 B.C., the Greeks further developed geometry and created a new land surveying
tool called the diopter. This was a portable tool that used a culmination of a cogwheel and water
level to measure terrestrial and astronomical figures on a property. Many experts compare the
ancient diopter tool with today’s theodolite, a surveying instrument that uses a rotating telescope
to measure accurate geometric angles. The Greeks developed the first standardized methods for
land surveying.

William the Conqueror Creates a Record of Land Plots

Fast-forward to 1086, when the next important milestone for land surveying came about in
England, under the reign of William the Conqueror. William ordered a “Domesday Book,”
which was a record of people who owned land in England and the size of the plots they owned.
The Domesday Book included descriptions of each plot’s boundaries, property elements, and
inhabitants, although it did not include maps showing exact locations. The Domesday Book
placed greater importance on mapping the boundaries of owned property.

Creation of New Land Surveying Tools, 1570-1787

In 1571, Joshua Habermel created the first theodolite. This highly precise instrument for land
surveying uses a setup with a tripod and compass. Surveyors used theodolites to create boundary
lines. It wasn’t until the 18th century that boundaries began including exact maps of where each
plot of land was, thanks to the Europe triangulation – a surveying system that used large triangles
to map points accurately and with little room for error. 
Land surveyors used triangulation methods for large-scale surveying until around the 1980s. In
1725, Johnathon Sission added to the theodolite by including a scope. Five years later, in 1730,
two men (John Hadley and Thomas Godfrey) independently rediscovered the sextant, which
measures angles using celestial maps. In 1787, Jesse Ramsden further developed the trusty
theodolite by creating a tool that measured angles in planes. 
 NATIONAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Amafel Building, Aguinaldo Highway, Dasmariñas, Cavite
Tel. No.: (046)416-6278 ● Telefax: (046)416-0166 ● Mobile No.:+63918-888-6278
www.ncst.edu.ph

Industrial Revolution Land Surveying, Early 19th Century

By the early 1800s, the industrial revolution was beginning to take hold. Land surveying became
an official profession, and more developments came about thanks to new methods of creating
surveying tools. The industrial revolution period was a boon to the land surveying industry, with
the profession in greater demand during the development of cities, roads, and railways. It was
more important than ever to have accurate land plot measurements and descriptions. 

Land Surveying Today

In the 20th and 21st centuries, land surveying has relied on the same basic methods and
principles of measurement that have existed for thousands of years. The development of
technologies such as global positioning systems (GPS), GIS software, laser scanners, and
terrestrial scanning have made land surveying more efficient and accurate, as well as faster and
easier. The computerization of ancient methods has propelled the land surveying industry
forward, and continues to give this industry an important place in the world.

Get to Know Land Surveying in Texas

Texas’ history of land surveying is a bit different from the rest of the world. After the
Revolutionary War, Texas used land surveying to determine which territories Spanish grants
covered, and how many Mexican citizens could inhabit land in Texas. In 1825, Texas became its
own independent nation, leading to increased pressure from Mexico and the U.S. to make land
surveying more accurate.
George Washington Smyth was one of the first Texas land surveyors, recording descriptions of
early Texas settlements and colonies before becoming commissioner of the General Land Office
in the 1840s. Today, land surveying still plays an extremely important role in the state of Texas,
with booming construction, oil, and gas industries. Land surveying in Texas is as important a job
as ever.

George Washington was not only a founding political

father of the U.S., he was a founding surveyor of Virginia,
as well. At the age of eleven, he inherited Ferry Farm.
When George reached school age, instead of a career in
the Royal Navy, George went to school to study surveying
and geometry. His first surveying tools were from his own
storehouse on Ferry Farm.[1] At the age of 17, under the
tutelage of Joshua Fry, he surveyed the northern neck of
 NATIONAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Amafel Building, Aguinaldo Highway, Dasmariñas, Cavite
Tel. No.: (046)416-6278 ● Telefax: (046)416-0166 ● Mobile No.:+63918-888-6278
www.ncst.edu.ph

Virginia and became the county surveyor for Culpeper

County, Virginia.

By the time of the French and Indian War, he had laid out most of northern Virginia, and this
knowledge would contribute to his success during the war. From 1747 to 1799, he surveyed 200
tracts of land, and due to his also being a land speculator, he amassed 65,000 acres (260 km2) of land.
During the Revolutionary War, he appointed the first geographer of the Continental Army, Robert
Erskine.
NATIONAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Amafel Building, Aguinaldo Highway, Dasmariñas, Cavite
Tel. No.: (046)416-6278 ● Telefax: (046)416-0166 ● Mobile No.:+63918-888-6278
www.ncst.edu.ph