Ancient Weight Unit Rediscovered by Scholar Steven Bonte

In a remarkable discovery, scholar Steven Bonte has proposed that the fish grapheme is a weight unit in Pali (Māṣa). This unit of measurement is the Guñjā-seed, which is approximately 1/8 of a gram. The discovery was made through the use of rebus, which is a play on maccha, the Pali word for fish. The Brahmi letter for the consonant is an inverted fish. This ancient form of measurement has been found to be used frequently in “Two Māṣas”. It has been suggested that this could have been used as early as 2nd century BC and may have had multiple uses such as measuring grain or even precious metals like gold and silver. The significance of this discovery lies in its potential to shed light on ancient trade practices and provide insight into how these societies measured their goods. It also serves as evidence that there was an advanced system of weights and measures during this time period, indicating an organized economy with established trading systems. This discovery by Steven Bonte not only adds to our understanding of ancient societies but also provides us with valuable information about how these civilizations functioned economically. With further research, it could potentially reveal more details about trade practices from centuries ago and help us better understand how different cultures interacted with each other during this time period.