-
Copyright credit: Seltman 1924
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WEIGHT
Authority
Mint
Denomination
15 Libras
Material
Marble
Manufacture
Carved
Shape
Sphere, hemisphere, or similar (spheroid, ovoid, etc.)
Length
- cm
Width
- cm
Height
- cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4400.00 | - | - | Seltman 1924 | No | No | Yes |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|
Wear
Corrosion
Handle
No
Suspension hole
No
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Autopsy
No
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Incised | Denomination |
Fac simile
ΔΠ
Edition
ΔΠ.
Monogram
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
Findspot (region)
Greece: Attica
Findspot (site)
Cape Sounion
context
Seltman 1924: In the Hellenistic age the mint, from which issued the late Athenian coins of “spread fabric,” was apparently situated in Laureiotike and perhaps at Sunium. [...] Now it is likely that the mint, if it was in the Laureiotike, adjoined the treasury for bar-silver, and this treasury has been identified by Svoronos at Sunium. Built into the uppermost fortification wall which defended the precinct of Poseidon there still stand the lower courses of a strong tower which was cleared out by M. Stais in 1916. Within was found a bronze pinion-wheel, designed to fit the end of a round shaft and toothed so as to engage in a ratchet. Clearly the tower, of which the foundations are very deep, contained some mechanism designed to facilitate the raising and lowering of heavy weights like bars of silver. But besides this pinion-wheel there was found a number of spherical stone weights, mainly fragmentary. In the spring of 1923 I discovered several of these fragments still lying upon the groud within the tower.
CIRCUMSTANCES OF ACQUISITION
Region
City
Date of first acquisition
circumstances
DATING OF THE WEIGHT
Curatorial Section
GREEK
,
ROMAN
Time frame
FROM
-50
TO
200
Comments on Chronology
COLLECTION HISTORY
Collection
| Name | Date of acquisition | Inventory number |
|---|---|---|
| National Archaeological Museum (Athens) | None | None |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Svoronos 1916–1917 | 122 | 9 | figs. 53–54 | (non vidi) |
| Seltman 1924 | 66–67 | None | fig. 43a | None |
| Deonna 1938 | 145–146 | None | None | None |
VARIA