Scales, weights and weight-regulated artefacts in Middle and Late Bronze Age Britain

Lorenz Rahmstorf

doi:10.15184/aqy.2018.257

Abstract

Highlights

Trade is generally considered to be an inappropriate concept for explaining exchange in Bronze Age Europe (Harding 2013)
One reason for the dearth of attention to profit-driven exchange, or trade, in Bronze Age Britain is probably the lack of archaeological finds that might indicate the existence of professional traders or the organisation of specialist exchange
The potential unit of approximately 93g of the gold objects, is notable, as it is known from other contexts: a unit of approximately 90–95g is attested across the contemporaneous Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Eastern Mediterranean

Summary

Introduction

Trade is generally considered to be an inappropriate concept for explaining exchange in Bronze Age Europe (Harding 2013). One reason for the dearth of attention to profit-driven exchange, or trade, in Bronze Age Britain is probably the lack of archaeological finds that might indicate the existence of professional traders or the organisation of specialist exchange. The use of standard weights and balance scales permits the precise measurement of the mass of material, of metals. With such devices, it became possible to exchange specific amounts of various substances, such as metals, wool and grain, and allowed for the establishment of accurate ‘material value ratios’ between different substances.

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion