Clay Bulla wih Sumerian Cuneiform, 2400 BCE - 2200 BCE
Clay
height 2.5 cm
height 1 in
height 1 in
OF.194
Further images
The following analysis was kindly provided by Professor Lambert (University of Birmingham): ‘Clay bulla, spherical, solid, with a hole in the top where originally a string projected, with which to...
The following analysis was kindly provided by Professor Lambert (University of Birmingham):
‘Clay bulla, spherical, solid, with a hole in the top where originally a string projected, with which to tie the object to a leather bag. The sides are divided into eleven portions, like the segments of an orange, each inscribed with one line of Sumerian cuneiform script.
Translation:
Leather bag containing documents which She-Dada, son of Ur-Tur.Tur.Se received, and the purification priest received. Barley disbursed from Gulum. Lugal-…..Year 4, month 7.
The method of dating, only giving the year of the ruler, but not his name, indicates that this document comes from the town of Umma and dates to c.2400-2200 BC. Tablets with this dating are not rare, but this may be the only bulla, which in any case is very unusual for the arrangement of the many lines of script. Also bullae generally were attached to clay boxes which served as filing cabinets. This may be the only one mentioning a leather bag as containing the tablets described on the bulla. It is in an excellent state of preservation.’
‘Clay bulla, spherical, solid, with a hole in the top where originally a string projected, with which to tie the object to a leather bag. The sides are divided into eleven portions, like the segments of an orange, each inscribed with one line of Sumerian cuneiform script.
Translation:
Leather bag containing documents which She-Dada, son of Ur-Tur.Tur.Se received, and the purification priest received. Barley disbursed from Gulum. Lugal-…..Year 4, month 7.
The method of dating, only giving the year of the ruler, but not his name, indicates that this document comes from the town of Umma and dates to c.2400-2200 BC. Tablets with this dating are not rare, but this may be the only bulla, which in any case is very unusual for the arrangement of the many lines of script. Also bullae generally were attached to clay boxes which served as filing cabinets. This may be the only one mentioning a leather bag as containing the tablets described on the bulla. It is in an excellent state of preservation.’