-
Copyright credit: Wolff and Finkielsztejn 2009
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Copyright credit: Wolff and Finkielsztejn 2009
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WEIGHT
Authority
Mint
Tyre
Denomination
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Square
Length
3.14 cm
Width
3.36 cm
Height
0.85 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63.48 | - | - | Wolff and Finkielsztejn 2009 | No | No | Yes |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Relief | ||||
| Palm | Relief | ||||
| Sign of Tanit | Relief | ||||
| Lattice pattern | Relief |
Wear
Corrosion
Handle
Yes
Suspension hole
No
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Elayi and Elayi 1997: Bélière. Droit : Palme, massue dressée et inscription phénicienne G/P M/Š ʾN/L. Revers: signe de Tanit sur fond de croisillons.
Wolff and Finkielsztejn 2009: Dimensions: 3.14 × 3.36 × 0.85 cm. Weight: 63.48 g. Obverse: Frame made of two parallel rounded lines. The inner field is divided in three parts: Palm branch to left, Winged club to right, g m/š ʾ n/l (from right to left). Reverse: Large sign of Tanit on a network of lozenges. No frame. Eran (unpublished report), who was not trained in epigraphy, read these letters as gimel-mem-taw-nun. P. Mosca (personal communication, December 17, 1992) read gimel-mem-aleph-nun, noting that the mem could be read as a šin and that the aleph is missing its lower vertical and may be an intrusion from the cursive series. Lemaire (see Elayi and Elayi 1997:131–132, no. 363) also read gimel-mem-aleph-nun, noting also that the mem could possibly be read as a šin. None of these scholars could propose a convincing meaning for the word gm/šʾn. Note that the first sign is also similar to that representing the number 100, but that does not seem to fit with the other letters.
Wolff and Finkielsztejn 2009: Dimensions: 3.14 × 3.36 × 0.85 cm. Weight: 63.48 g. Obverse: Frame made of two parallel rounded lines. The inner field is divided in three parts: Palm branch to left, Winged club to right, g m/š ʾ n/l (from right to left). Reverse: Large sign of Tanit on a network of lozenges. No frame. Eran (unpublished report), who was not trained in epigraphy, read these letters as gimel-mem-taw-nun. P. Mosca (personal communication, December 17, 1992) read gimel-mem-aleph-nun, noting that the mem could be read as a šin and that the aleph is missing its lower vertical and may be an intrusion from the cursive series. Lemaire (see Elayi and Elayi 1997:131–132, no. 363) also read gimel-mem-aleph-nun, noting also that the mem could possibly be read as a šin. None of these scholars could propose a convincing meaning for the word gm/šʾn. Note that the first sign is also similar to that representing the number 100, but that does not seem to fit with the other letters.
Autopsy
No
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenician | Relief | Unidentified |
Fac simile
{U+10902} {U+1090C or 10914} {U+10900} {U+1090D}
Edition
gmʾn or gšʾn
Monogram
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
Findspot (region)
Israel: Southern District
Findspot (site)
Ashdod [Ashdod / Azotos / Azotos Mesogeios]
context
Found in the sand dunes at Ashdod-Yam (OIG 1143/1320), in 1964 or before.
CIRCUMSTANCES OF ACQUISITION
Region
City
Date of first acquisition
circumstances
Object in the possession of the anonymous finder. He allowed A. Eran to examine the object soon after its discovery [in 1964 or before]. The late Moshe Dothan provided S. Wolff with the finder’s name and address. He kindly allowed Wolff to photograph the object in 1992.
DATING OF THE WEIGHT
Curatorial Section
GREEK
Time frame
FROM
-300
TO
-1
Comments on Chronology
COLLECTION HISTORY
Collection
| Name | Date of acquisition | Inventory number |
|---|---|---|
| Unidentified Private Collections | None | None |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dothan 1964 | 18 | None | None | None |
| Stern 1982 | 216 | None | fig. 363 | None |
| Elayi and Elayi 1997 | 131–132, 385 | 363 | fig. 17/363; pl. XXVII/363 | None |
| Wolff and Finkielsztejn 2009 | 498–499 | None | fig. 2 | None |
| Finkielsztejn 2015 | 86–87, 91 | 146 | None | None |
VARIA