Ancient Judaea Yehud Period Dome Scale Weight 8.86g Bullseye Motif c. 700-300 BC For Sale

Ancient Judaean / Levantine Cast Bronze Dome Weight — Persian Siglos / Shekel Standard (8.86g — c. 7th–4th Century BC)

Authenticity & Guarantee

• Provenance: Ex-private European collection, legally acquired from international sales; Ancient Judaean / Levantine Holy Land Sphere.

Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions

• Object: Cast Bronze Dome Weight / Plano-Convex Commercial Scale Weight

• Culture / Period: Ancient Judaea / Levantine Sphere (Late Iron Age II to Persian Period)

• Date Range: Circa 7th Century BC – 4th Century BC (c. 700 – 300 BC)

• Exact Mass: 8.86 grams (Corresponds to the Persian Siglos / Levantine trade weight standard)

• Estimated Dimensions: Approx. 16 mm diameter × 10 mm height

• Material: Cast Bronze (Copper Alloy / High-Density Bronze)

• Form & Architecture: Plano-convex / domed profile engineered with a flat resting base and smooth, sloping sides; top face features crisp, lathe-turned concentric circular grooves centered around a single drilled focal dot (bullseye / target motif)

• Condition: Exceptional, 100% complete ancient condition. Crisp concentric ring geometry, solid heavy metal density, preserved under an authentic dark charcoal-black bronze patina with subtle earthen burial encrustations. Free of modern restoration or tooling.

Judaean & Levantine Metrology (Shekel & Siglos Standards)

In ancient Judaea and across the Levant during the First Temple and Persian (Achaemenid) periods, commercial trade relied heavily on weighed silver bullion (hacksilber), spices, and raw goods. Merchants carried sets of calibrated bronze weights in pouch kits to verify transactions in local marketplaces. At 8.86 grams, this piece aligns with the Persian Siglos weight standard (~8.6g to 8.8g), which circulated extensively throughout Judaea following the Return to Zion.

Concentric Bullseye Motif & Anti-Fraud Crafting

The lathe-turned concentric rings encircling a central dot served both an aesthetic and a practical purpose. Functionally, the decorative bullseye indicated to market inspectors (agoranomoi) that the weight was a finished, calibrated standard. Spiritually and visually, the concentric eye motif provided a recognizable mark of authenticity, ensuring that the bronze had not been shaved or chipped down by unscrupulous traders.

Typological Analysis & Exact Classification

• Primary Class: Ancient Near Eastern Commercial Equipment / Bronze Market Weight

• Sub-Class: Plano-Convex Concentric Ring (Bullseye) Cast Bronze Weight Class

Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers

• Israel Museum, Jerusalem: Iron Age II and Persian period Judaean bronze weights with concentric circular markings from Holy Land excavations.

• British Museum (Accession No. 1891,0509.8): Ancient Levantine bronze scale weight with concentric circle decoration.

TRN-1-7