METROLOGICAL TABLE FOR AREA MEASURES SYSTEM A

MS 2768
MS Short Title METROLOGICAL TABLE FOR AREA MEASURES SYSTEM A
Text METROLOGICAL TABLE FOR AREA MEASURES SYSTEM A, BASIC UNIT SHAR, RANGING FROM 1 SHAR (36 M2) TO 10 SHAR (360 M2)
Description MS in Neo Sumerian on clay, probably Larsa, Babylonia, 2000-1700 BC, 1 tablet, 7,0x4,3x2,2 cm, 3 columns, 15 lines of cuneiform script.
Commentary The medium sized area units, iku, eshe, and bur, had been in use since the end of the 4th millennium BC. 100 shar was 1 iku (3,6 dekars), 6 iku was 1 eshe (21,6 dekars), 3 eshe was 1 bur (ca. 6,5 hectares), 10 bur was 1 buru (ca. 65 hectares), 6 buru was 1 shar (ca. 3,9 km2), 60 shar was 1 shar gal (ca. 230 km2).
Published Jöran Friberg: A remarkable Collection of Babylonian Mathematical Texts. Springer 2007. Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences. Manuscripts in the Schøyen Collection, vol. 6, Cuneiform Texts I. pp. 116-117.
Place of origin Babylonia
Dates 2000-1700 BC