Duck Weight (with Cuneiform inscription)

Black stone

Late 3rd millenium BCE

Mesopotamia

The British Museum

Details

Culture/Civilisation

Harappan Civilisation

Subtheme

How the Cities Traded

Display Location

Rotunda

Measurements

approximately 16 kg

Accession Number

134301 / 1963,0715.1

Description

Weighing was critical for ancient trade that relied on barter. The Mesopotamian ‘duck weight,’ depicting a duck, was associated with the Sun god Shamash, and was part of standard weight sets used across western Asia. The Harappans used weights that followed a ratio which mirror the modern binary system.