Historical metrology is the science that is dealing with the fundamental units of measurement, systems of units formerly in use in various countries, and the development of monetary units throughout their history.
The interest for historical metrology began by the early antiquarianism movement in Europe during 16th -17th centuries, when studies of the measurement systems in various ancient cultures became common, e.g. De Mensuris et ponderibus Romanis et Graecis, published in 1533 by Georgius Agricola (1494–1555). From late 18th century and throughout the 19th century a plethora of books, with the aims to collate and clarify the relationships between different measurement systems and compile systems used in ancient cultures as well as in modern time, were published.
Research efforts were later also used to investigate measurement system in certain cultures or countries. Here it is appropriate to mention Hultsch, who published two monumental works, Griechische und römische Metrologie (1862) and Metrologicorum scriptorium reliquiae, collegit, recensuit, partim nunc primum edidit Fridericus Hultsch (1864/66). Other works by scholars worth mentioning, is by Aravaca y Torrent (Spain, 1867), Balbin (Argentina, 1881), Bogdán (Hungary, 1990), Charbonnier (France, 1990-2006), Cheng-lo (China, 1957), Connor and Simpson (Scotland, 2004), Donaldson (Oman, 1994), Falkman (Sweden, 1884/85), Ferrand (Portuguese Territories of Indian Ocean, 1920), Grönros et al. (Finland, 2003), Hinz (Islamic world, 1955), Pankhurst (Ethiopia, 1969/70), Petersen (Denmark, 2002), Rasmussen (Denmark, 1967), Шостьин (Russia, 1975), Skinner (Britain, 1967), Witthöft (Germany, 1979-1994), Wu (China, 1957), and Zupko (Britain, France and Italy, 1968–90).
For some countries, principal divisions of executive governments has published reportes that compiles formerly used weights and measures. For example, this has been done for Bolivia, Great Britain, Costa Rica, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Tanzania and the United States. In 1954, 1955 and 1966, the United Nation compiled reports that were aimed at giving an overview of the non-metric units then in use in different parts of the world.
Among the representatives of the historical metrology since the second half of the 20th century may be mentioned, among others István Bogdán, Pierre Charbonnier, Walther Hinz, Jean-Claude Hocquet, Ronald Edward Zupko, Chengluo Wu, Jan Gyllenbok, Florian Huber, Richard Keir Pethick Pankhurst, Rolf C A Rottländer, and Harald Witthöft.