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Portable Steelyard Balance
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Finder
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County
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Date Recorded
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Dean Crawford
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WORCESTERSHIRE
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Wed October 19, 2005
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Recorded By
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Views
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Validated by
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Dean Crawford
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4776
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Jeff Hatt
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Material
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Size (mm)
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Date
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Copper alloy
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195mm x 160mm
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1st - 4th Century A.D
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Description:
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A complete copper-alloy portable steelyard balance. A steelyard of typical Roman form with two suspension hooks of flattened bronze wire that hook over the index finger giving two fulcrums on the same balance. A hook or pan was suspended from the end of the steelyard (missing here) and a weight hung from the notched balance beam. The main picture above shows the steelyard as used for the weighing of heavier items; the balance beam notched at frequent intervals. When reversed for the weighing of lighter items the beam requires far fewer notches in order to function.
The beam on this example is marked with the Roman numerals X (10) and XX (20) and also at the mid-point between with a V (5). Presumably this portable steelyard had a maximum capacity of 25 uncia (ounce) with the weight suspended from the far end of the beam and a minimum of 1 uncia with balance reversed and the weight suspended from the first notch. Of course this capacity could be extended by the use of a heavier weight.
The steelyard (statera) was in common use in Roman Britain for the weighing of goods. Small bronze steelyards such as this example were portable versions of much larger iron and wooden versions. The sliding weights were mostly of lead and usually bi-conical, but bronze examples are sometimes found in the form of human busts or animals.
Steelyard weights; UKDFD 905, UKDFD 906
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Keywords:
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Roman steelyard scales weight balance
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Object Type:
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Balance
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Object Classification:
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Steelyard
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Object Sub-classification:
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Portable
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Object Description:
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Complete
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Object Inscription:
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X - V - XX
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Period:
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Roman
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Date Range:
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1st - 4th Century A.D
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Primary Material:
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Copper alloy
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Additional Material:
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Method of Manufacture:
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Cast
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Surface Treatment:
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Condition:
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Very good
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Weight (grams):
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103.0 grams
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Size (mm):
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195mm x 160mm
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References:
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Comments:
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Record created by:
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Dean Crawford
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Record creation date:
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19th October 2005
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Findspot:
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Near Worcester
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County:
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WORCESTERSHIRE
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Recorded elsewhere:
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No
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Finder:
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Dean Crawford
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Metal Detector Used:
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Fisher CZ6
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Record validated by:
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Jeff Hatt
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;)
;)
;)
Registered: July 2005