diff --git a/state/queue_test.go b/state/queue_test.go
index df367e5bb..d6212be90 100644
--- a/state/queue_test.go
+++ b/state/queue_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ import (
 func TestQueue(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := assert.New(t)
 
+	lots := make([][]byte, 500)
+	for i := range lots {
+		lots[i] = []byte{1, 8, 7}
+	}
+
 	cases := []struct {
 		pushes [][]byte
 		pops   [][]byte
@@ -28,6 +33,8 @@ func TestQueue(t *testing.T) {
 			[][]byte{{1}, {2}, {4}},
 			[][]byte{{1}, {2}, {4}, nil, nil, nil},
 		},
+		// let's play with lots....
+		{lots, append(lots, nil)},
 	}
 
 	for i, tc := range cases {
diff --git a/state/span.go b/state/span.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b9708417
--- /dev/null
+++ b/state/span.go
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+package state
+
+import wire "github.com/tendermint/go-wire"
+
+var (
+	keys = []byte("keys")
+	// uses dataKey from queue.go to prefix data
+)
+
+// Span holds a number of different keys in a large range and allows
+// use to make some basic range queries, like highest between, lowest between...
+// All items are added with an index
+//
+// This becomes horribly inefficent as len(keys) => 1000+, but by then
+// hopefully we have access to the iavl tree to do this well
+//
+// TODO: doesn't handle deleting....
+type Span struct {
+	store KVStore
+	// keys is sorted ascending and cannot contain duplicates
+	keys []uint64
+}
+
+// NewSpan loads or initializes a span of keys
+func NewSpan(store KVStore) *Span {
+	s := &Span{store: store}
+	s.loadKeys()
+	return s
+}
+
+// Set puts a value at a given height
+func (s *Span) Set(h uint64, value []byte) {
+	key := makeKey(h)
+	s.store.Set(key, value)
+	s.addKey(h)
+	s.storeKeys()
+}
+
+// Get returns the element at h if it exists
+func (s *Span) Get(h uint64) []byte {
+	key := makeKey(h)
+	return s.store.Get(key)
+}
+
+// Bottom returns the lowest element in the Span, along with its index
+func (s *Span) Bottom() ([]byte, uint64) {
+	if len(s.keys) == 0 {
+		return nil, 0
+	}
+	h := s.keys[0]
+	return s.Get(h), h
+}
+
+// Top returns the highest element in the Span, along with its index
+func (s *Span) Top() ([]byte, uint64) {
+	l := len(s.keys)
+	if l == 0 {
+		return nil, 0
+	}
+	h := s.keys[l-1]
+	return s.Get(h), h
+}
+
+// GTE returns the lowest element in the Span that is >= h, along with its index
+func (s *Span) GTE(h uint64) ([]byte, uint64) {
+	for _, k := range s.keys {
+		if k >= h {
+			return s.Get(k), k
+		}
+	}
+	return nil, 0
+}
+
+// LTE returns the highest element in the Span that is <= h,
+// along with its index
+func (s *Span) LTE(h uint64) ([]byte, uint64) {
+	var k uint64
+	// start from the highest and go down for the first match
+	for i := len(s.keys) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+		k = s.keys[i]
+		if k <= h {
+			return s.Get(k), k
+		}
+	}
+	return nil, 0
+}
+
+// addKey inserts this key, maintaining sorted order, no duplicates
+func (s *Span) addKey(h uint64) {
+	for i, k := range s.keys {
+		// don't add duplicates
+		if h == k {
+			return
+		}
+		// insert before this key
+		if h < k {
+			// https://github.com/golang/go/wiki/SliceTricks
+			s.keys = append(s.keys, 0)
+			copy(s.keys[i+1:], s.keys[i:])
+			s.keys[i] = h
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	// if it is higher than all (or empty keys), append
+	s.keys = append(s.keys, h)
+}
+
+func (s *Span) loadKeys() {
+	b := s.store.Get(keys)
+	if b == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	err := wire.ReadBinaryBytes(b, &s.keys)
+	// hahaha... just like i love to hate :)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *Span) storeKeys() {
+	b := wire.BinaryBytes(s.keys)
+	s.store.Set(keys, b)
+}
diff --git a/state/span_test.go b/state/span_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8362f3d90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/state/span_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+package state
+
+import (
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+type kv struct {
+	k uint64
+	v []byte
+}
+
+type bscase struct {
+	data []kv
+	// these are the tests to try out
+	top    kv
+	bottom kv
+	gets   []kv // for each item check the query matches
+	lte    []kv // value for lte queires...
+	gte    []kv // value for gte
+}
+
+func TestBasicSpan(t *testing.T) {
+
+	a, b, c := []byte{0xaa}, []byte{0xbb}, []byte{0xcc}
+
+	lots := make([]kv, 1000)
+	for i := range lots {
+		lots[i] = kv{uint64(3 * i), []byte{byte(i / 100), byte(i % 100)}}
+	}
+
+	cases := []bscase{
+		// simplest queries
+		{
+			[]kv{{1, a}, {3, b}, {5, c}},
+			kv{5, c},
+			kv{1, a},
+			[]kv{{1, a}, {3, b}, {5, c}},
+			[]kv{{2, a}, {77, c}, {3, b}, {0, nil}}, // lte
+			[]kv{{6, nil}, {2, b}, {1, a}},          // gte
+		},
+		// add out of order
+		{
+			[]kv{{7, a}, {2, b}, {6, c}},
+			kv{7, a},
+			kv{2, b},
+			[]kv{{2, b}, {6, c}, {7, a}},
+			[]kv{{4, b}, {7, a}, {1, nil}}, // lte
+			[]kv{{4, c}, {7, a}, {1, b}},   // gte
+		},
+		// add out of order and with duplicates
+		{
+			[]kv{{7, a}, {2, b}, {6, c}, {7, c}, {6, b}, {2, a}},
+			kv{7, c},
+			kv{2, a},
+			[]kv{{2, a}, {6, b}, {7, c}},
+			[]kv{{5, a}, {6, b}, {123, c}},         // lte
+			[]kv{{0, a}, {3, b}, {7, c}, {8, nil}}, // gte
+		},
+		// try lots...
+		{
+			lots,
+			lots[len(lots)-1],
+			lots[0],
+			lots,
+			nil,
+			nil,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for i, tc := range cases {
+		store := NewMemKVStore()
+
+		// initialize a queue and add items
+		s := NewSpan(store)
+		for _, x := range tc.data {
+			s.Set(x.k, x.v)
+		}
+
+		testSpan(t, i, s, tc)
+		// reload and try the queries again
+		s2 := NewSpan(store)
+		testSpan(t, i+10, s2, tc)
+	}
+}
+
+func testSpan(t *testing.T, idx int, s *Span, tc bscase) {
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+	i := strconv.Itoa(idx)
+
+	v, k := s.Top()
+	assert.Equal(tc.top.k, k, i)
+	assert.Equal(tc.top.v, v, i)
+
+	v, k = s.Bottom()
+	assert.Equal(tc.bottom.k, k, i)
+	assert.Equal(tc.bottom.v, v, i)
+
+	for _, g := range tc.gets {
+		v = s.Get(g.k)
+		assert.Equal(g.v, v, i)
+	}
+
+	for _, l := range tc.lte {
+		v, k = s.LTE(l.k)
+		assert.Equal(l.v, v, i)
+		if l.v != nil {
+			assert.True(k <= l.k, i)
+		}
+	}
+
+	for _, t := range tc.gte {
+		v, k = s.GTE(t.k)
+		assert.Equal(t.v, v, i)
+		if t.v != nil {
+			assert.True(k >= t.k, i)
+		}
+	}
+
+}