Waagschale mit zehn Gewichten

Burial from Veien - possible inhumation grave from Late Roman iron Age
c.300-400CE

This is a bronze balance scale with 10 weights of various masses ranging from approximately 0.9 g to 79 g. The bowls are suspended on bronze chains on a beam.   

Veien has functioned as a bustling trade center and as a crossroad. Merchandise traveled downstream along the waterways from the surrounding valleys, eventually making its way through Veien and further out to the coast. This trade activity undoubtedly played a crucial role in the area's prosperity and influence. It's plausible that the balance scale was employed in these commercial transactions, where goods were commonly exchanged through barter or with precious metals, assessed against diverse weight standards.  

The balance scale may also have had a legal function – as a recognized symbol of law and justice, perhaps the deceased was the chief legal authority in the region? The Roman goddess of justice, Justitia, is often depicted holding a balance scale. Perhaps the balance scale was used for the payment of fines? Objects of Roman origin also found their way to Veien, and this scale with its accompanying weights is likely either from the Roman Empire or inspired by it.