Cuneiform Tablet
date: label: date made
content: ca 2004 - 1900 BCE
label: associated date
content: 2100 BCE
notes: label: Description
content: This clay tablet from ancient Mesopotamia features a script called cuneiform. The tablets record business transactions and trade in items such as sheep, goats, oxhide, and barley. Tablets typically had two layers: an outer covering and inner plate. Sealing the plate within the covering protected it from alteration. If there was a dispute over the accuracy of the information on the outer layer, the covering would be cracked open and the inner plate would be read to settle the matter.
place: label: place made
content: Iraq: Bābil, Babylon
label: associated place
content: Iraq: Bābil, Babylon
label: associated place
content: Iraq: Sumerian
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: Exhibition
content: Value of Money
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Chase Manhattan Bank
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: NU.79.112.OC12
label: accession number
content: 1979.1263
label: catalog number
content: 79.112.OC12
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Clay Tablet
label: Object Name
content: tablet
label: Other Terms
content: Clay Tablet; Asia; Ancient Babylonia
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: mineral aggregate, clay (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: light brown (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: gray (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: formed in mold and inscribed (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 40.7 mm x 35.2 mm x 17 mm; 1 19/32 in x 1 3/8 in x 21/32 in