What sort of object might this be? The material and compact, pan-friendly form point toward a trade weight rather than a toy or ornament. From the late third to early second millennium BC, Mesopotamian merchants and administrators favored hematite for weights because it is dense, tough, and hard to tamper with. Many weights were simple cylinders, but animal shapes also circulated in the Bronze Age marketplace. Surviving sets show the spectrum from plain barrel forms to ducks and frogs, all meant to sit steadily on a balance pan.

Grasshopper carving
hematite
Old Babylonian
c. 1800-1700 BCE

#ancientculture #babylonia #1800BCE #carved #carving #hematite #grasshopper #carvedstone #ancientart #art #weight #measure #trade #bronzeage #marketplace