These initially very small clay tokens were continually used all the way from the pre-historic Mesopotamia period, 9000 BC, to the start of the historic period around 3000 BC, when the use of writing for recording was widely adopted.
Keping-keping tanah liat ini mula-mula sangat kecil dan terus-menerus dipergunakan sejak zaman prasejarah Mesopotamia, 9000 SM, sampai permulaan zaman sejarahnya sekitar 3000 SM, tatkala pemanfaatan tulisan untuk pencatatan diadopsi secara luas.