The Origins of the Old Rus' Weights and Monetary Systems.(Review)

The Origins of the Old Rus' Weights and Monetary Systems (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard U.P., 1998; pp. xii+172. $29), by Omeljan Pritsak, comprises two studies. The first treats the metrological and monetary systems of the Khazars, Volga-Bulgarians and Old Rus'. Pritsak sets out to determine the precise value in grams of every weight in each of these systems and to show that the three systems are closely interrelated, deriving largely from early medieval Arabic precursors. However, his assumptions about the nature and values of the Arab terms are often flawed. The value of the pondus Caroli is much debated; its closeness (but not exact equivalency) to the Baghdad ratl is probably …