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surveyor’s chain
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surveyor’s chain

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Also known as: Gunter’s chain
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Article History
Also called:
Gunter’s chain
Key People:
Edmund Gunter

surveyor’s chain, measuring device and arbitrary measurement unit still widely used for surveying in English-speaking countries. Invented by the English mathematician Edmund Gunter in the early 17th century, Gunter’s chain is exactly 22 yards (about 20 m) long and divided into 100 links. In the device, each link is a solid bar. Measurement of the public land systems of the United States and Canada is based on Gunter’s chain. An area of 10 square chains is equal to one acre.