# Early evidence for capacity standardisation in Western Europe. The vessels from Mailhac (Aude, France) 9th-7th centuries BC

## TL;DR

This study explores ancient vessels from France to find early evidence of standardized volume measurements in Western Europe.

## Contribution

The study provides one of the earliest known examples of capacity standardization practices in Western Europe.

## Key findings

- Metrological analysis of vessels reveals early evidence of standardized capacity practices.
- 3D modeling and statistical analysis were used to calculate vessel capacities.
- The findings date back to the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in southern France.

## Abstract

This paper presents an original study of the metrological characteristics of a series of vessels discovered in the necropolis of Le Moulin (Mailhac, southern France) and dated to the Late Bronze Age and the beginning of the Early Iron Age. A metrological study of the capacities of these artefacts is presented, based on a protocol of 3D modelling from 2D drawings to calculate the internal volumes of the vessels, and a series of mathematical and statistical analyses. The results make it possible to identify one of the earliest evidence for metrological practices based on capacity in Western Europe.