Number, Measurement and the Search for the Concept of Weight in Prehistory

Dzbynski, Aleksander

This monograph offers a groundbreaking perspective on prehistoric metrology by introducing the concept of portioning systems as a precursor to weighing and the balance scale. Drawing on archaeological evidence from the Near East and Europe, it develops a holistic framework for understanding independent phases of metrological development across prehistoric societies more broadly. At its core lies a fundamental question: were many of the artefacts considered to have functioned as measure of metal in the Copper and Bronze Ages, among them ingots, bars, and aes formatum, actually measured and perceived of in terms of weight? Taking this question as its starting point, the book traces the intellectual journey toward the concept of weight as a pivotal threshold between tangible, anthropomorphic measures and abstract numerical thinking. By identifying and analyzing previously overlooked portioning systems, this study fills a critical gap in archaeological interpretation, offering a comprehensive account of how number and measure evolved in prehistory.