Description:

Ancient Near East, Mesopotamia, Babylon, Old Babylonian Period, ca. 2000 to 1600 BCE. A hand-built clay tablet of rectangular form containing about 14 lines of cuneiform text that served as a promissory note for barley. This text was formed by impressing a sharpened reed or stick into the still-wet surface. Though untranslated, tablets like this example provide insights into how the ancient world functioned. From delivery receipts and accountings of workers to family lineage and even customer complaints, cuneiform revolutionized the written word as we know it. Size: 0.6" L x 1.9" W x 1.4" H (1.5 cm x 4.8 cm x 3.6 cm); 4.25" H (10.8 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: ex-Artifact Room, Denver, Colorado, USA, acquired May 10, 2004

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#187501

  • Condition: Chipping, abrasions, and some stable, hairline fissures as shown, all expected with age. Otherwise, mostly intact with liberal remains of script.

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June 27, 2024 9:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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