"A Measured World? Measures in Minoan Daily Life"

This is the first step of a new project, 'A Measured World", investigating the presence and use of measures in Minoan daily life. It starts with a 'state of the art' review of the studies concerning weight, capacity and linear measures in Minoan Crete, and then analyses the evidence from selected Minoan contecxts , from both Protopalatial (Middle Bronze Age) and Neopalatial (Late Bronze Age Early) periods, especailly Malia (Quartier Mu) and Mochlos (Artisans' Quarter). For each contexts, balance weights, vessels, metal items, stone tools and loom-weights are examined. The outcome is still tentative but promising. Most of the anlaysed objects seem to have been manufactured according to some measuring system: not only balance weights, but also vessles, that seem to indicate the existence of capacity measures, and other tools, that point to a combination of weight and linear standard. A shorter section illustrates the possible architectonical modules that have been proposed for some Minoan buildings.