A 7th century BCE Hacksilber hoard from Mras ed-Din: metrology, functional analysis, lead isotopes and historical implications

Abstract

A silver hoard from Mras ed-Din in the region of Samaria is published here for the first time. Dating to the seventh century BCE, the hoard comprises six large silver cut-ingots–also known as Hacksilber. The current study includes metrological, chemical and isotopic analysis. In addition, for the first time, functional analysis has been applied to hoarded cut-silver items. Results show that the cut-ingots conform to a series of shekel-based weight standards, making this the only known Levantine hoard to clearly adhere to the local weight system. Detailed examination of the cut characteristics and other visible features allows us to reconstruct the segmentation process used to produce the Hacksilber. This process involved heating, fine-chiseling, segmentation with a larger chisel, and hacking— likely with a hammer. Some cut ingots have rounded corners, suggesting that they were passed around as currency. Chemical and isotopic analyses indicate that most of the silver originated from Laurion, in Greece. These findings suggest that Mras ed-Din, located in the former territory of the destroyed Kingdom of Israel, was influenced by and possibly integrated into the economic sphere of the Kingdom of Judah, whose reach appears to have been more extensive than previously assumed. In a broader regional perspective, trade in the mid- seventh century BCE was likely stimulated by Egypt, which briefly controlled the region following the Assyrian retreat. The results support the growing evidence for the Kingdom of Judah’s significant role in intra-regional commerce.