Das Honigmaß der Papyri Ebers und Hearst

Abstract

Summary The quantification of Ancient Egyptian drugs has been the subject of debate since the end of the 19 th century due to the lack of the units of measurement in the medical papyri and ostraca. While the reading of one of the main units, the corn-measure, was relatively clear from the beginning due to its specific set of numbers, the other main unit, the dja, could be identified and correctly calculated only at the beginning of the 21 st century. In addition to these systems, some recipes of the Papyri Ebers and Hearst use another measure which seems to be restricted to honey. The article gives an overview of previous proposals for its definition, suggests a new reading and, after re-evaluating the recipes in question, it presents its most probable volume value.