An Egyptian Diorite Weight, New Kingdom, ca. 1550 - 1069 BCE
EM2103
Ancient Egyptian weights were traditionally made in units known as debens, a standard weight of 93.3 grams, though some weights from the Old and Middle Kingdom appear to have been in units of around 12 to 14 grams and sometimes 27 grams. Prior to the New Kingdom, there appears to have been less standardization than afterward. After the 12th Dynasty, a smaller unit known as a kite (qedet/qdt) with a weight of 9.1 grams was used and the deben itself was increased to ten kite. This example in diorite is of the standard form; a convex domed top and sides that slant inward toward the base. Weighing 19.1 grams, it is approximately the weight of 2 kite.
For similar weight models see Petrie Museum, inv. UC80236
Dimensions: Length: 1 inch (2.5 cm), weight: 19.1 grams
Condition: Repaired from two pieces, otherwise intact.
Provenance: Private French collection of Dr. F.H., assembled in the 1970s.
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