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

Pages: 260 pp. Illustrations:20 b/w, 9 col. Language(s):English. Publication Year:2026. Brepols. ISBN: 978-2-503-62017-6. Hardback . 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. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations Foreword Chapter I. Some Theoretical Issues Biology Culture Philosophy Chapter II. The Palaeolithic Incised Bones Dealing with Time Discussion Chapter III. The Neolithic Tokens of the Near East Linguistic Evidence Number in the Near East Neolithic Europe Chapter IV. The Metal Age Beginnings A Proto-Indo-European Story Beads, Sheets, and Wires Chapter V. Towards Abstract Numbers and Measures First Standards Form and Value The Epistemic Functions of Weight The Role of Bronze Age Metallurgy for Development of Technology Weight, Money — Consequences Chapter VI. Summaries The Problem of the Half In Search for Weight Back to Portion Number or Measure? Europe and the Near East Chapter VII. Conclusions Works Cited Index.…