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How Did Ancient Mesopotamia Measure Value Without Coins? - The Clay Tablet Economy of Ancient Babylon | Sleepy Facts About History
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When we think of money, we usually imagine coins and paper currency, but the ancient Mesopotamian economy operated on a completely different principle. Around four thousand years ago, a farmer like Ur-Ningirsu might borrow from his neighbor and have the debt recorded by a scribe as ten shekels of silver. The puzzle is that neither man possessed silver, expected silver, or ever exchanged metal to settle the account. Instead, the debt was paid in barley, wool, or labor. This episode explores…
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