The 13th century halle (market hall) in the centre of Monpazier, the Dordogne, France.
On the right are the ancient measuring bins.
These bins were essential for the efficient function of a medieval market – first to guarantee the buyer the correct amount (corn, wheat, barley, chestnuts, etc.) and second, no less important, to enable the authorities to collect the appropriate tax at the point of sale. These are Monpazier's bins in the main square. They were filled up from the top, tilted, and their contents were poured via the small ‘gate’ into sacks below. Although often claimed to be original, they have been found to have been 'metricised'. Since metrication was introduced during the French Revolution, the present bins must date from the 1790s at the earliest. This is unlikely to have been a purely ornamental change, so one can reasonably infer that they would also have been in regular use.
Thank you to the excellent and wonderfully detailed web-site by Michael Delahaye; well worth a look.
The 13th century halle (market hall) in the centre of Monpazier, the Dordogne, France.
On the right are the ancient measuring bins.
These bins were essential for the efficient function of a medieval market – first to guarantee the buyer the correct amount (corn, wheat, barley, chestnuts, etc.) and second, no less important, to enable the authorities to collect the appropriate tax at the point of sale. These are Monpazier's bins in the main square. They were filled up from the top, tilted, and their contents were poured via the small ‘gate’ into sacks below. Although often claimed to be original, they have been found to have been 'metricised'. Since metrication was introduced during the French Revolution, the present bins must date from the 1790s at the earliest. This is unlikely to have been a purely ornamental change, so one can reasonably infer that they would also have been in regular use.
Thank you to the excellent and wonderfully detailed web-site by Michael Delahaye; well worth a look.