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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
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Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WEIGHT
Authority
Mint
Moesian mint
Denomination
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Rectangle
Length
8.45 cm
Width
13.40 cm
Height
1.70 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1052.80 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | No | No | Yes |
| 1053.50 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | No | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|
Wear
Lightly worn
Corrosion
Lightly corroded
Handle
Yes
Suspension hole
Yes
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Ashmolean Museum: Lead weight.
Meyer 2001–03: Weight of the late Roman or Byzantine Period. Rectangular lead weight, 1053.5 gr., 8.65 x 13.3 x 0.88 cm. Obv. E. Rev. Blank field, with slightly raised edges. AN 2004.52. The weight consists of a large block with rounded corners and a perforated handle at the upper border. An iron peg has been inserted between the upper two arms of the epsilon, presumably for calibration.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular shape; square handle perforated. Signs of wear and corrosion: some bumps, strokes and cuts, bigger one on the upper right and on the right edge; big hollow above the hole on the handle on the reverse . The upper left corner on the obverse is raised and the upper right corner on the reverse is folded backwards. On the obverse, big letter in relief: E. Between the two upper branches of the E, a small iron nail. The reverse is blank.
Meyer 2001–03: Weight of the late Roman or Byzantine Period. Rectangular lead weight, 1053.5 gr., 8.65 x 13.3 x 0.88 cm. Obv. E. Rev. Blank field, with slightly raised edges. AN 2004.52. The weight consists of a large block with rounded corners and a perforated handle at the upper border. An iron peg has been inserted between the upper two arms of the epsilon, presumably for calibration.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular shape; square handle perforated. Signs of wear and corrosion: some bumps, strokes and cuts, bigger one on the upper right and on the right edge; big hollow above the hole on the handle on the reverse . The upper left corner on the obverse is raised and the upper right corner on the reverse is folded backwards. On the obverse, big letter in relief: E. Between the two upper branches of the E, a small iron nail. The reverse is blank.
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Denomination |
Fac simile
Edition
ε´.
Monogram
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
Findspot (region)
Findspot (site)
context
CIRCUMSTANCES OF ACQUISITION
Region
City
Date of first acquisition
Dec. 31, 1996
circumstances
Meyer and Moreno 2004: In 1996 a private collector of ancient coins received a posted parcel containing 43 metal objects, supposedly lead weights from ancient Istria on the western shore of the Black Sea. These came unsolicited from an antiquities dealer based outside Britain, and given that they would otherwise most likely have been dispersed on the open market, the recipient notified the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and deposited the package at the Department of Antiquities.
DATING OF THE WEIGHT
Curatorial Section
GREEK
,
ROMAN
Time frame
FROM
1
TO
250
Comments on Chronology
COLLECTION HISTORY
Collection
| Name | Date of acquisition | Inventory number |
|---|---|---|
| Ashmolean Museum (Oxford) | Dec. 31, 1996 | AN 2004.51 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 61, 76 | 42 | fig. 42 | None |
VARIA