Establishing Value : Weight Measures in Early Mesopotamia / Vitali Bartash.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bartash, Vitali, Author.

Series:

Studies in ancient Near Eastern records ; 23.

Studies in Ancient Near Eastern Records (SANER) ; 23

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Weights and measures, Ancient.

Weights and measures--History.

Weights and measures.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (288 pages).

Place of Publication:

Berlin ; Boston : De Gruyter, [2019]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

This book explores the reasons for which weights and scales were used to measure goods in Early Mesopotamia (ca. 3,200-2,000 BCE). The vast corpus of cuneiform records from this period sheds light on the various mechanisms behind the development of this cultural innovation. Weighing became the means of articulating the value of both imported and locally-produced goods within a socioeconomic system that had reached an unprecedented level of complexity. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of this cultural and economic phenomenon, which simultaneously reflected and shaped the relationships between individuals and groups in Mesopotamia throughout the third millennium BCE.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Preface

Contents

Abbreviations

1. Approaching the topic

2. From burden to talent

3. Mina: The cosmopolite

4. Shekel: A tiny axe

5. The missing link: NINDA2 × ŠE+N

6. Reforms and new measures

7. Stone weights

8. Weighing scales

9. Weighmasters and the context of weighing

10. Weighed goods

A retrospect

Bibliography

General index: subjects, names, places, authors

Signs and Sumerian words

Akkadian words

Cuneiform texts

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 06. Apr 2020)

ISBN:

9781501510328

1501510320

9781501510267

1501510266

OCLC:

1105896565