Deben (unit)
The deben was an ancient Egyptian weight unit. Early Dynastic Period The earliest evidence for deben is from the Early Dynastic Period. It was found at the site of Buto in Nile Delta. The weighing stone was uncovered in an archaeological context from Second Dynasty, in the so-called "labyrinth" building, it bears the inscription of the "friendly is the heart of Horus, director" (of the installation) "Hemsemenib". The inscribed value is of 3 deben, representing a unit of , likely the earliest copper deben. Based on this evidence, it was argued recently that copper and gold deben were used since Early Dynastic Period in ancient Egypt. Old and Middle Kingdom Set of balance beams and weighing stones from 10 to 100 units, likely deben, was painted on the wall of the tomb of Third Dynasty official Hesy-Ra at Saqqara. Stone weights from the Old Kingdom have been found, weighing about , giving presumed value of the gold deben, e.g. the weighing stone of king Userkaf. The same unit was used for the jasper weighing stone of the First Intermediate Period king Nebkaure Khety. From the Middle Kingdom date deben weight units used for particular metals, referred to as copper deben