Rare iron weights and Roman scale found in ancient Turkish city

Archaeologists have unearthed a rare set of five iron weights shaped like ancient Greek letters alongside a complete Roman balance scale, estimated to be around 1,600 years old, during excavations at the ancient city of Uzuncaburç in southern Türkiye's Mersin province, providing valuable insights into Late Antique trade practices from the 4th to 7th centuries AD.

The Litra Weight System

The litra (λίτρα) was an important unit of measurement in the ancient Greek world, particularly significant in Sicily and later adopted across the eastern Mediterranean. As a weight unit, the litra equaled one-third of a Roman libra, weighing approximately 109.15 grams (3.85 ounces). The recently discovered letter-shaped weights from Uzuncaburç correspond to this standard, with weights ranging from half to five litrae—equivalent to roughly 150 grams to 1.5 kilograms in modern measurements. In the Talmudic tradition, the litra represented a larger unit, equivalent to 60 shekels or about 354 grams (12.5 ounces).wikipedia+2

Beyond its function as a weight measure, the litra also served as a monetary unit. In ancient Sicily, it originated as a small silver coin weighing 0.87 grams, valued at approximately one-fifth of a drachma or similar to an obol. The litra system featured a duodecimal division, with one litra equaling 12 bronze onkia coins. This fractional system included the hemilitron (half-litra, marked with six pellets), tetras (quarter-litra, marked with three pellets), and hexans (one-sixth litra, marked with two pellets)—demonstrating the sophisticated economic structures that supported ancient Mediterranean trade.biblehub+1

Greek Letter-Shaped Iron Weights

The iron weights discovered at Uzuncaburç are notable for their distinctive shapes, each formed to represent a letter from the ancient Greek alphabet. This letter-based design wasn't merely decorative but served a practical purpose, allowing merchants and traders to quickly identify weight values through visual recognition. The complete set ranges from half to five litrae, with each letter corresponding to a specific weight denomination.turkiyetoday+2

Such letter-shaped weights were part of a broader tradition in the ancient Mediterranean world, where weights were often marked with letters, symbols, or numerals to indicate their value. Similar examples have been documented in museum collections, including weights from Cyzicus that feature Greek letters alongside city symbols like torches. The Uzuncaburç discovery is particularly significant because it represents a complete measuring system found intact, providing archaeologists with rare contextual evidence of how these weights functioned together as a set within the commercial infrastructure of a Late Antique city. Professor Ümit Aydınoğlu, the excavation director, suggests this letter-based labeling system may reflect either regional trade practices or a merchant-specific system used in the colonnaded commercial streets where they were found.arkeonews+1

Late Antique Commercial Practices

The discovery of the weighing system at Uzuncaburç offers a rare glimpse into the commercial infrastructure of Late Antiquity (4th-7th centuries AD). The excavations, led by Prof. Dr. Ümit Aydınoğlu from Mersin University, have focused on two colonnaded streets that formed the commercial spine of the ancient city, revealing numerous shop remains alongside trade-related artifacts including coins and cutting tools. These findings illuminate how standardized measurement systems regulated marketplace transactions in Diocaesarea (the ancient name for Uzuncaburç), which served as both a religious center and the capital of the region during this period.anatolianarchaeology+2

Late Antique Rough Cilicia, where Uzuncaburç is located, featured a network of well-connected rural sites including villages, hamlets, and farms that supported urban economic activities. The city's strategic location 30 kilometers north of Silifke district positioned it as a commercial hub with connections throughout the surrounding region. The complete weighing set—comprising the letter-shaped weights and balance scale—represents one of the first intact examples of standardized measurement systems from this period, providing critical evidence of how Late Antique authorities maintained economic regulation and commercial standardization as the Roman Empire transitioned into the Byzantine era.x+3