1.3 History of Standardisation

Standardisation has a long history and tradition. Through history, trade, wars and politics enhanced the need for standards and standardisation. One of the first written standards is The Eleusis Inscription which was created in the fourth century BC. It was discovered in 1893 in the area of Eleusis, 18 km northwest of present-day Athens. According to George Varoufakis (2010), the Eleusis Inscription is one of the first European standards that solved the problem of proving the quality of the bronze pins (polio) that were used to connect the discs of ancient columns. The Eleusis Inscription provides evidence that ancient Greeks applied strict specifications in orders related to bronze products (alloys primarily made of copper and tin, which may contain other elements). In this record, relationships between multiple producers are defined, committing to delivering the alloy according to given specifications and allowing customers to inspect the bronze quality through a clearly defined process agreed upon by all parties. This record specifically describes the alloy from which bronze wedges, used for connecting discus poles, will be made. Alongside the alloy specifications (1 part tin and 12 parts copper), the record provides guidelines for controlling compliance with the conditions. Varoufakis asserts that this standard defines an empirical method for controlling the quality of the materials supplied for the axles. It can be said that this is one of the first anticipatory standards that foresaw a problem that manufacturers might deceive buyers about the lesser amount of tin in the specified alloy (Varoufakis, 1999). The topics on the history of standardisation are important because they increase personal connection with the topics. This topic should cover the evolution of standards in specific contexts and emerging trends in standardisation.