Wikipedia talk:Articles for deletion/Standards of measure in the Jemdet Nasr

Mesopotamian standards

The Greek root of stadios means to stand or have standing,

to establish a standard.

In Mesopotamia the problem was that there were several different standards

so in the Time of Gudea an agreement was circulated between the various

city states much like that which is presently being negotiated in Europe.

A hymn to Nanše (Nanše A)

232-240. At the house which has been granted powers from the abzu,

in Sirara, the gods of Lagaš gather around her.

To weigh silver with standard weights,

to standardise the size of reed baskets,

they establish an agreed ban measure throughout the countries.

The shepherd, the expert of the Land, the wise one (?) of the countries,

Ištaran, who decides lawsuits justly, who lives in the Land …… Ninĝišzida …….

2 lines unclear

241-250. To weigh silver with standard weights

to standardise the size of reed baskets,

they establish an agreed ban measure throughout the countries. ……

of (?) all the great rites.

1 line unclear

After …… in (?) the established storerooms,

the lady of the storerooms …… her lofty ……

with (?) vessels with ever-flowing water and

with (?) …… of (?) reed containers which never become empty,

she ordered her herald, lord Ḫendursaĝa to make them profitable (?).

232. e2 abzu-ta me nam-ta-ba

233. siraraki-ce3 dijir lagacki-a gu2 mu-un-na-si-si

234. na4 gen6-na kug la2-e-de3 gi-gur gen6-na gub-bu-de3

235. jicba-an inim gen6-na kur-kur-ra [cu] ba-an-ja2-ja2-ne

236. sipad mas-su kalam-ma X jal2 kur-kur-ra

237. dictaran /di\ si sa2-a /kalam\-a til3-la-am3

238. KA X X [...] dnin-jic-zid-da-ke4 [...] /mi\-ni-in-dab5

239. [...] X si im-sa2-e-de3

240. [...] X ib2-ta-ba-ba-e

241. [na4 gen6-na kug] /la2\-e-de3 gi-gur gen6-na gub-bu-de3

242. [jicba-an inim gen6-na] kur-kur-ra cu ba-ja2-ja2-ne

243. [...] mah-a mar-za gal-[gal-la]-/kam\

244. [...] X A cu? CUL jic X GA

245. [...]-ra erim3 jar-jar-ra

246. [...] dug a nu-silig-ge-dam

247. [...] gipisaj-a / muc3\ nu-tum2-mu-da

248. [...] nin erim3-ma-ke4

249. [...] mah-a-ni um-mi-in-jar /ku\-dun-bi tuku-tuku-da

250. [nijir-a-ni] en dhendur-saj-ja2 [a2]-bi mu-da-an-aj2

251. [nin]-/ju10\ me-zu me mah-am3 [me-a] /dirig\-ga-am3

252. dnance me-zu me na-me nu-un-ga-an-da-sa2

253. [an] lugal-e igi hul2-la-ni mu-un-ci-bar-bar-re

254. den-lil2-da barag nam tar-re-da mu-un-da-an-tuc-a

255. a-a den-ki-ke4 nam i-ri-in-tar

256. dnance dumu eridugki-ga tud-da za3-mi2-[zu] dug3-ga-am3

Ancient Mesopotamian weights and measures

The weights and measures of Mesopotamia gradually developed with the associated city states. The Sumerian number system uses a base 60 positional notation, and is the origin for the division of 60 for hours and angular degrees. The Akkadian system adopts the Sumerian. Over a period of several millenia international trade and commerce spread the idea of standards of measure based on definitions of land and property throughout the ancient near east.

International trade required the expansion of the arrangement throughout

the Ancient Near East as a common standard much like our Metric System.

The basis of the standard was a definition of a geographic degree

divided into 600 parts know as stadia which were further divided into 600 feet.

• Standards of measure in the Jemdet Nasr
• Standards of measure in the Copper Age
• Standards of measure in the Near Eastern Bronze Age

Mesopotamia

In Mesopotamia there was the sos = 180 m

The copper bar cubit of Nippur

the oldest preserved standard bar, defines

the Sumerian cubit (kù) as half a metre.

This was widely used in 3rd millennium BC.

The Babylonian (or Salamis) cubit

was about the same size and is portrayed

in a rule on the statue of Gudea (Lagash,

dated around 2575 BC) which depending on source measures in a range from 496 to 500 mm.

Egypt

In Egypt the khet was 100 royal cubits

In Egypt 210 khet were an itrw or hour of travel on the river

In Egypt 300 Royal cubits were the stadia of Eratosthenes = 157.5 m

700 to a degree at Alexandria,

In Egypt 350 Royal cubits were a Minute of March = 183.75 m

In Egypt 60 Minutes of March were an atur or Hour of March

Persia

In Persia there were stadia of 700 feet = 222 m

500 to a degree on the equator or

This was the geographic stadia of Marianus of Tyre and Ptolomy

Greece

In Attic Greece a Milos was 8 Stadions of 600 pous = 185 m

600 to a degree of 111 km

In Attic Greece a Milos was 8 Stadions of 600 pous = 185 m

600 to a degree of 111 km

In Ionic Greece a Milos was 8 Stadions of 625 pous = 185 m

600 to a degree to a degree of 111 km

Rome

In Rome a Milliare of 8 Stadiums of 625 pes = 185 m

600 to a degree to a degree of 111 km

England

In England a Myle of 8 Furlongs of 625 fote = 185 m

600 to a degree to a degree of 111 km

Area

• sar: Garden plot (Sumerian)
• 1 iku:= 100 sar,
• 1 iku = 120 × 120 cubit²
• plot of land enclosed by a boundary dike/canal”.
• 1 bùr:= 18 iku = 3 area éše = 1800 sar
• the amount of land that supported a family

Volume

• 1 log:= 0.54 l
• 1 homer:= 720 log ≈ 390 l

Weight and monetary

• 1 shekal:= 8.36 g, introduced around 3000 BC
• 1 mina:= 60 shekal ≈ 232 g

Time

• year: The Sumerians used a 360 day year by 2100 BC.
• week: The Babylonians introduced the seven day week, due to the belief that seven brought bad luck, so they did not want to work the seventh day.
• hour: The 12 hour day and 12 hour night originates from Mesopotamia. The length of these hours changed through the year, being equally spaced over the time of light and dark, respectively.

Sumerian lengths

As a collection of city states organized like the Greeks by gene, oinkos and phratre the Sumerians had a plethora of multiple standards. All stated values are in precise unit fractions of a common standard.

Sumerian area measure

• 1 uzalag
• 1 uzalak: = 1/4 of an iku = 25 sar
• 1 še: barley; grain; = 432 square linear barleycorns = 12 square uban
• 1 ubu : = 1/2 of an iku (= 50 sar).
• 1 sar:
• 1 šar: 'garden plot' = 1 square ninda
• 1 square ninda = 60 surface shekels = 1/100 iku
• 1 square ninda = 4 square reeds = 144 square cubits
• 1 iku: = 3600 meters2 = 100 sar = 1 square 'rope' = 1/18 bùr
• (plural Akk. form of ég, ék, 'levee').
• 1 éše, = 120 1/2 cubits or feet = the side of 1 square iku in area
• éš[ŠÈ]: = 6 iku; leash (can be an adverbial suffix like eš)
• (eš, 'much', + eš, 'much') [ŠE3 archaic frequency: 152].
• nindan,
• ninda: rod = 12 cubits (kùš) = 6 meters; one side of a sar
• šar, 'garden plot' square measure
• from Akk. middatu, mindatu, 'to measure'

Sumerian volume measure

• 1 gur = 1 square ninda times 1 kùš = 144 kùš3
• 1 gur = 18 cubic meters
• 1 bariga = 60 gur PI or UL in Old Sumerian period
• 1 bariga = 36 sìla in the Old Sumerian period
• 1 bán-rig-a = 6 bán. 'the bán from picking, gleaning'
• 1 èše: = 6 iku.
• 1 bùr: = 18 iku = 3 éše = 1800 sar
• the amount of land that supported a family
• 1 bùru from Akkadian buuru IV, "hunger",
• bii/eeru IV, "space, distance"
• gána, gán: tract of land, field parcel;
• (flat) surface, plane; measure of surface; shape, outline;
• cultivation = iku = gan- field" GAN2
• 1 ma-na-tur: little mina = 1/3 shekel = 60 surface še = 720 square uban
• 1 a-ñá-ri-in: a flat area measured in sar
• 1 ñarim
• 1 A-ñar:
• 1 e5-ñar
• 1 gín-tur: little shekel = 1/60 shekel = 1/3600 square nindan
• 1 sar = 3 surface še = 36 square fingers
• 1 sar = surface of the side of a cube of 1 sìla capacity.

Akkadian length

• 1 ŠU.BAD: 'open hand' = 12 šusi = 220 mm = 8.66"
• 1 ammat cubit of 530 mm - 20.87 a unit of wheat or barley measure
• 1 ammatu := 6 long qat= 600 mm
• 1 ÑIŠ-BAD: =1 kùš. 600 mm
• 1 UŠ: = 6 ropes = 60 nindan rods.

Akkadian area

• 2 AŠ: = 1/2 of an iku (= 50 sar).
• 1 iku: = 3600 meters2 = 100 sar = 1 square 'rope'
• 1 iku = 1/18 bùr plural Akk. form of ég, ék, 'levee'
• 1 éš[ŠÈ]: = 120 cubits = the side of 1 square iku in area

Akkadian volume

• 1 bariga = 60 sìla in the Old Akkadian and Neo-Sumerian periods.

• For a timeline of ANE civilizations, and who did business with who in the Jemdet Nasr see "The Cambridge Atlas of Mesopotamia" Michael Roaf.

• Mesopotation bibliograpy