Primary sourceArtifact522-486 BCE

Trilingual Stone Weight from Persepolis

522-486 BCE

A stone weight inscribed in three languages with the name of Darius I, used as a standard for weights in the Achaemenid Empire.

This weight, inscribed with Darius's name, shows his role in standardizing measures across the empire.

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A dark grey, polished stone weight with rounded top and flat base, covered in carved cuneiform-style inscriptions, displayed in a glass case. A printed museum label sits beside it on the right. — Trilingual inscribed stone weight, Persepolis, Achaemenid period, Darius I, 522-486 BCE.

About this source

What it is

This is a stone weight with a trilingual cuneiform inscription from Persepolis, dating to the Achaemenid period under Darius I (522-486 BCE). It currently weighs about 4930 grams and is held in a museum collection.

Why it matters

Darius I is known for standardizing administration across his vast empire, including weights, measures, and coinage. This object is physical evidence of that effort, showing how the empire tried to create consistent systems of trade and taxation across many different peoples and languages.

Look closer

Why would a ruler want the same weight standard used across his whole empire?
Why do you think the inscription appears in three languages?
What would happen if weights like this were not standardized?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Darius the Great on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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