Sumerian Cuneiform Tablet, 2027 BCE
Clay
1.96 x 3.47
CT.008 IS LSO.600
Sumerian cuneiform is one of the earlies known forms of written expression. Firs appearing in the 4th millennium BC in wha is now Iraq, it was dubbed cuneifor (‘wedge-shaped’) because...
Sumerian cuneiform is one of the earlies known forms of written expression. Firs appearing in the 4th millennium BC in wha is now Iraq, it was dubbed cuneifor (‘wedge-shaped’) because of the distinctiv wedge form of the letters, created b pressing a reed stylus into wet clay. Earl Sumerian writings were essentiall pictograms, which became simplified in th early and mid 3rd millennium BC to a serie of strokes, along with a commensurat reduction in the number of discrete sign used (from c.1500 to 600). The scrip system had a very long life and was used b the Sumerians as well as numerous late groups – notably the Assyrians, Elamites,
Akkadians and Hittites – for around thre thousand years. Certain signs and phoneti standards live on in modern languages o the Middle and Far East, but the writin system is essentially extinct. It wa therefore cause for great excitement whe the ‘code’ of ancient cuneiform was cracke by a group of English, French and Germa Assyriologists and philologists in the mi 19th century AD. This opened up a vita source of information about these ancien groups that could not have been obtained i any other way.
Cuneiform was used on monument dedicated to heroic – and usually royal –
individuals, but perhaps its most importan function was that of record keeping. Th palace-based society at Ur and other larg urban centres was accompanied by remarkably complex and multifacete bureaucracy, which was run by professiona administrators and a priestly class, all o whom were answerable to central cour control. Most of what we know about th way the culture was run and administere comes from cuneiform tablets, which recor the everyday running of the temple an palace complexes in minute detail, as in th present case. The Barakat Gallery ha secured the services of Professor Lamber (University of Birmingham), a renowne expert in the decipherment and translatio of cuneiform, to examine and process th information on these tablets. The following i a transcription of his analysis of this tablet:
Clay Tablet, with 20 lines of Sumerian Cuneiform on Obverse and Reverse The tablet is written in a large, clear scribal hand and is in generally good condition. It is joined from two pieces, but without loss of surface. It is dated to the second year of Ibbis-Sin, last kind of the Third Dynasty of Ur, c.2027 B.C. It is an administrative document listing cattle and donkeys being handed over to an official from other functionaries, all within the government service.
Translation:
13 carcasses of mature cows.
25 traction oxen.
30 3-year old oxen.
13 2-year old cows.
24 2-year old oxen.
43 1-year old cows.
39 1-year old oxen.
60 mature she-asses.
10 traction male donkeys.
9 she-asses 3-year old.
8 male donkeys 3-year old.
15 she-asses 2 year-year old.
21 male donkeys 1-year old.
Adad-rabi, administrator, received from the managers.
Year: the high priestess of Inanna of Uruk was chosen by divination.
This is a rare type of administrative document from the period, and gives an insight into their classification and uses of domestic farm animals. Apparently none survived more than three years. Were they slaughtered then since their usefulness was over? How one man came to be handling so many animals is not made clear, but all were government property and so could be assigned where appropriate.
Akkadians and Hittites – for around thre thousand years. Certain signs and phoneti standards live on in modern languages o the Middle and Far East, but the writin system is essentially extinct. It wa therefore cause for great excitement whe the ‘code’ of ancient cuneiform was cracke by a group of English, French and Germa Assyriologists and philologists in the mi 19th century AD. This opened up a vita source of information about these ancien groups that could not have been obtained i any other way.
Cuneiform was used on monument dedicated to heroic – and usually royal –
individuals, but perhaps its most importan function was that of record keeping. Th palace-based society at Ur and other larg urban centres was accompanied by remarkably complex and multifacete bureaucracy, which was run by professiona administrators and a priestly class, all o whom were answerable to central cour control. Most of what we know about th way the culture was run and administere comes from cuneiform tablets, which recor the everyday running of the temple an palace complexes in minute detail, as in th present case. The Barakat Gallery ha secured the services of Professor Lamber (University of Birmingham), a renowne expert in the decipherment and translatio of cuneiform, to examine and process th information on these tablets. The following i a transcription of his analysis of this tablet:
Clay Tablet, with 20 lines of Sumerian Cuneiform on Obverse and Reverse The tablet is written in a large, clear scribal hand and is in generally good condition. It is joined from two pieces, but without loss of surface. It is dated to the second year of Ibbis-Sin, last kind of the Third Dynasty of Ur, c.2027 B.C. It is an administrative document listing cattle and donkeys being handed over to an official from other functionaries, all within the government service.
Translation:
13 carcasses of mature cows.
25 traction oxen.
30 3-year old oxen.
13 2-year old cows.
24 2-year old oxen.
43 1-year old cows.
39 1-year old oxen.
60 mature she-asses.
10 traction male donkeys.
9 she-asses 3-year old.
8 male donkeys 3-year old.
15 she-asses 2 year-year old.
21 male donkeys 1-year old.
Adad-rabi, administrator, received from the managers.
Year: the high priestess of Inanna of Uruk was chosen by divination.
This is a rare type of administrative document from the period, and gives an insight into their classification and uses of domestic farm animals. Apparently none survived more than three years. Were they slaughtered then since their usefulness was over? How one man came to be handling so many animals is not made clear, but all were government property and so could be assigned where appropriate.