Weighing Units and Weights in the Context of Trade Between Upper Mesopotamia and Anatolia (Nineteenth and Eighteenth Centuries BCE)

The archives of the Assyrian merchants, found at KanešKaneš (Assyrian merchant settlement in Anatolia) Central AnatoliaAnatolia, highlight use a weight system, well adapted to quantifyPracticepractice quantification [practices quantification, quantify, quantifying] metals they traded from East West and back. An atypical progressive metrological list weightsMetrological listmetrological shows importance fractions Old AssyrianOld numeracy computing practicesPracticepractice computation [computing practice, practices]. AccountingAccounting [Account] documents reveal two different cultures for weighingWeightweighing units according commodities quantified where were quantified. In Upper MesopotamiaMesopotamia [Mesopotamian]Upper Mesopotamia, tinTin silverSilver measured gu(weight measurement unit), mana (weight unit) gin, while locally copperCopper was often counted only unit. additionAddition, merchants had deal with standardsWeightweight standards: Anatolian weighed ten per cent less than Mesopotamian unit). Texts also mention verification weights methods correcting discrepancies. A hundred sixty stone may be compared data provided by listMetrological list. These weights, which show significant variations, witness existence many individual standards, confirm recurrent necessity correct