A Cast-Mould from the Anuyshkar Hillfort (on the question of the metal ingot denomination system)

Abstract

A great number of casts for ingot making are to be found on the territory of the Perm region. In the Middle Ages copper was widely mined and alloyed for further use in brass and bronze objects here. The casts served as a standard form of metal for buying and selling. A certain cast is special. Found at the site of the Anuyshkar settlement dating back to the 9–15th centuries, it has been preserved almost entirely. The find contains 4 compartments for casting ingots of different size and, consequently, weight. The analysis showed that the cast was used for making brass ingots. Their weight was based on the ancient Sasanid measurement system with the drachme as the basic weight unit, which equals 4.26 grams. This ancient weight unit and its derivatives weighing 106 grams (25 mithqal) and 29.8 grams (7 mithqal) were adopted by craftsmen in the Kama region as early as in the 5–7th centuries at the time of active trade and economic contacts with the Sasanid Iran. The find suggests that there existed a sort of denomination system for metal ingots.

Keywords

• archaeology
• numismatic metrology
• middle ages
• perm krai
• cast
• brass ingots
• ingot weight