Of the three methods for legal land description, which is the oldest?

The method that is considered the oldest for legal land description is metes and bounds. This system dates back to ancient times and has its roots in the land surveying practices used by the Romans and later by the English.

Metes and bounds describes land using specific physical boundaries and landmarks, such as trees, rivers, and roads, to delineate the property. The term "metes" refers to the measurement of distance, while "bounds" refers to the boundaries of the property. This descriptive method allows for a detailed narrative that makes clear the extent and limits of a particular parcel of land.

As a historical context, this method was commonly used before the establishment of more standardized systems like the rectangular survey, which was implemented in the United States in the late 18th century. Though other methods, such as lot and block or the geographic coordinate system, have become prevalent and widely used due to their precision and ease of application, metes and bounds remains the oldest legal description method in practice.