Ancient Judaea Cast Bronze Radial Grooved Scale Weight 10.95g Shekel Standard For Sale

Ancient Judaean / Levantine Cast Bronze Fluted Ring Weight / Heavy Spindle Whorl — Shekel Standard (10.95g — c. 10th–6th Century BC)

Authenticity & Guarantee

• Certification: Certified Authentic — includes signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) with full provenance documentation.

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

Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions

• Object: Cast Bronze Fluted Ring Weight / Heavy Spindle Whorl

• Culture / Period: Ancient Judaea / Levantine Iron Age II

• Date Range: Circa 10th Century BC – 6th Century BC (c. 1000 – 500 BC)

• Exact Mass: 10.95 grams (Corresponds directly to the Judaean Shekel weight standard)

• Estimated Dimensions: Approx. 22 mm diameter × 9 mm height (Central aperture approx. 7–8 mm)

• Material: Heavy Cast Bronze (Copper Alloy)

• Form & Architecture: Biconical/discoid solid bronze ring weight with a smooth central bored aperture; outer perimeter decorated in high relief with a continuous radial sunburst matrix of deep fluted grooves; engineered with dense bronze metal mass

• Condition: Exceptional, 100% complete ancient condition. Intact structural bronze core, sharply defined cast radial fluting, preserved under a dark charcoal-olive patina with contrasting off-white to sandy-tan calcareous burial encrustations filling the grooves and aperture. Free of modern restoration or tooling.

Judaean Bronze Metrology & Shekel Standard (10.95 Grams)

In First Temple Period Judaea and the surrounding Levantine kingdoms, bronze ring weights were cast to strict mass standards for commercial trade and metal valuation. Weighing precisely 10.95 grams, this heavy bronze ring aligns directly with the official Judaean Shekel standard (~10.8g–11.4g) used across Jerusalem, Lachish, and Near Eastern trade routes.

Multi-Functional Design & Radial Metallurgy

Heavy bronze rings with radial fluting served a dual purpose in ancient Levantine society. Primary function included standardized scale weights for merchant transactions in raw silver (hacksilber) and precious commodities. Secondary utility allowed the weighted ring to serve as a flywheel whorl on a spinning rod for high-tension thread processing. The radiating grooved pattern provided both a non-slip grip and immediate visual verification of its official weight class.

Typological Analysis & Exact Classification

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

• Sub-Class: Radial Fluted Cast Bronze Ring Weight Class

• Manufacturing Technique: High-density lost-wax cast copper alloy, adjusted to exact mass, with cold-finished aperture reaming.

Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers

• Israel Museum, Jerusalem: Iron Age Judaean bronze shekel-standard ring weights recovered from Lachish and Megiddo strata.

• British Museum (Accession No. 1880,0503.28): Ancient Levantine cast bronze ring weight with radial perimeter fluting.

• Rockefeller Archaeological Museum (Jerusalem): First Temple Period Judean bronze trade weights and whorls.