Roman Mason's Plumb Weight with Magical Inscription. 1st-2nd century AD. A bronze plumb bob weight with piriform body decorated with horizontal lines and Greek inscription (magic name) in capital letters 'AKPANAXAMA?EI' (akrama-chamarei) to the top; suspension loop above.See Faraone, C. A., ‘Inscribed Greek Thunderstones as House- and Body-Amulets in Roman Imperial Times’, in Kernos, 27, 2014, pp.1-27.12.2 grams, 27mm (1"). From the private collection of a London gentleman; acquired at Hirsch Auctions, Munich, circa 2006.The plumb or plumb rule was an instrument of antiquity. The Greeks formed a bob of lead on a cord and called it Molubdos, i.e. lead, from which evolved the Molybdenum tool. The Romans Latinised this to plumbum, the tool used to measure perpendiculars and structures, walls, aqueducts and fortifications in every corner of the Empire. Some objects and amulets report the magical protective phrases ablanathanalba akrama-chamarei and then ?????????? (Lord of the Abyss"). It is interesting to find such an inscription on a builder or architect's tool.