Salt barrels

Sources from the time of the Hanse ship reveal that quicklime was traded in units of measurement called ‘Mundt’. There was also a hollow measure called “Kume” into which the material was filled. One Kume held exactly four so-called Lüneburg salt barrels or six small barrels.

Research has shown that the barrels filled with quicklime from the Hanse ship corresponded exactly to the dimensions of the Lüneburg salt barrel (72 cm high x 52.8 cm lid x 67.2 cm belly circumference with a net volume of 201.5 l). Apparently, the same barrels were used for salt and quicklime. Was the reason for this the roundness of the containers, which promised greater impermeability for the moisture-sensitive contents?

Image: F. Rösch