Steelyard Weight
Description
A steelyard is a type of weighing tool, where goods are hung from one end and a weight is slid along the arm until the steelyard stays horizontal. This lead steelyard weight was found at the site of the Roman fort at Newstead in Roxburghshire. The chain from which the steelyard weight was suspended still survives. The weight is plain. The Roman world had a highly standardized system for weighing goods. Objects were weighed either on a balance from which pans were suspended or on a steelyard. Most steelyard weights are plain, as this example, but some are decorated. Photo © National Museums Scotland
Object Information
Date Created:
80-100 CE
Local ID:
X.FRA 1118
Collection:
National Museums Scotland
Provenance:
James Curle excavations 1905-1911
Place of Creation/Discovery:
Trimontium
Citation:
Curle, J. A Roman frontier post and its people: the fort of Newstead. Glasgow: MacLehose, 1911, p 309, Pl. LXXXIII, 9.
Materials:
Lead
Cultural Attribution:
Roman
Period:
1st-2nd Century
Classification:
Tool
Rights:
In Copyright- National Museums Scotland