A standard weight from late antique Aphrodisias

This article presents an analysis of a limestone block discovered during the excavation of the Tetrapylon Street in Aphrodisias, which has been identified as an official standard weight. The object, weighing 64.5 kg, features an iron ring and bears two Greek inscriptions. The inscription on the top surface indicates that the weight was set up in the 7th indiction upon the command of a magistrate (likely an agoranomos) named Andronikos. The inscription on the front face identifies the denomination as a "double talent" (τάλαντα δίς), which precisely corresponds to two Roman talents (32.3 kg each), accounting for minor wear over time. The author compares this find with a similar object from Caesarea Maritima and argues that such massive blocks were used to ensure the accuracy of weighing heavy merchandise, potentially grain. Based on paleographic analysis and the omission of the reigning emperor's name, the find is dated to the 4th or 5th century CE. This research provides evidence for the active nature of commercial activities on the city's main avenue during the Late Antique period.