furthermore, before 1700 wooden fingerposts withs distance markings (so-called "arm(en)säulen" or "arm columns") were commonplace on the roads of saxony. these consisted of a wooden post, at the upper end of which were direction indicators in the shape of human arms and hands. because the wood rotted rapidly as a result of its constant exposure to moisture, many of these fingerposts collapsed a few years after they had been erected and became unusable.