This chapter discusses weighing equipment in pre-literate Bronze Age Europe (c. 2300-800 BC) as a material correlate of market exchange. The argument is introduced by a comparative overview of the function of weight systems in the Bronze Age of the Ancient Near East; the evidence suggests that the existence of prices and currencies is a requisite for the use of weight systems in economic transactions. The comparative overview allows to formulate a hypothesis for pre-literate Europe, to be tested through statistical analyses. The results validate the hypothesis, showing that weight systems in pre-literate Europe are functionally analogous to their Near Eastern counterparts. The study relies on a sample of balance weights from different regions of Europe, covering the entire duration of the Bronze Age.
Ialongo, N. (2022). Weight-Based Trade and the Formation of a Global Network: Material Correlates of Market Exchange in Pre-literate Bronze Age Europe (c. 2300–800 BC). In M.P. Marcella Frangipane (a cura di), Ancient Economies in Comparative Perspective. Material Life, Institutions and Economic Thought (pp. 207-232). Springer International Publishing [10.1007/978-3-031-08763-9_11].
Weight-Based Trade and the Formation of a Global Network: Material Correlates of Market Exchange in Pre-literate Bronze Age Europe (c. 2300–800 BC)
Ialongo, Nicola
2022-01-01
Abstract
This chapter discusses weighing equipment in pre-literate Bronze Age Europe (c. 2300-800 BC) as a material correlate of market exchange. The argument is introduced by a comparative overview of the function of weight systems in the Bronze Age of the Ancient Near East; the evidence suggests that the existence of prices and currencies is a requisite for the use of weight systems in economic transactions. The comparative overview allows to formulate a hypothesis for pre-literate Europe, to be tested through statistical analyses. The results validate the hypothesis, showing that weight systems in pre-literate Europe are functionally analogous to their Near Eastern counterparts. The study relies on a sample of balance weights from different regions of Europe, covering the entire duration of the Bronze Age.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
