1983.98: Cuneiform Tablet: Old Assyrian Account Text

Identification and Creation

Object Number

1983.98

Title

Cuneiform Tablet: Old Assyrian Account Text

Classification

Tablets

Work Type

tablet

Date

c.1900-1750 BCE

Period

Bronze Age, Middle

Culture

Assyrian

Persistent Link

https://hvrd.art/o/289653

Physical Descriptions

Medium

Clay

Technique

Impressed

Dimensions

4 x 4.2 x 1.6 cm (1 9/16 x 1 5/8 x 5/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History

Nanette Rodney Kelekian, New York, formerly in the possession of her father Charles Dikran Kelekian; gift to Fogg Art Museum, 1983.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line

Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Nanette B. Rodney

Accession Year

1983

Object Number

1983.98

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Contact

am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

Permissions

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Descriptions

Description

Small square clay tablet with cuneiform writing. Both obverse and reverse surfaces and left edge are densely inscribed with ruled lines of text written in the Old Assyrian dialect of the Akkadian language. There are no seal impressions. The tablet probably comes from the trading colony (karum) by the mound of Kültepe (ancient Kanesh) near Kaiseri in Cappadocia (central Anatolia).

The surface of the tablet is soiled, but most of the writing remains legible. The text is a caravan account, detailing the import of a consignment of textiles from Ashur into Anatolia, including information on local taxation, losses etc.

Text reads:

(1-5) Out of 42 textiles (from) the house of Aššur-malik: 2 ½ textiles are the nishatum-tax; x+½ shekels of silver will be paid; x+5 textiles for pre-emption; (5-8) 1 textile is lost; 40 textiles /...\; 3 ½ textiles the karum-authority will take. (8-11) Out of 54 textiles, including those of his son, belonging to Adi-Ištar: (11-15) 2 ½ textiles are the nishatum-tax; 3 shekels of silver will be paid; 5 textiles for pre-emption; 4+x shekels (of) silver will be paid; (16-20) 1 textile is lost; there are 35 textiles in the upper storeroom; 1 ½ textiles the karum-authority will take; 5 Dan-Aššur will take. (21-22) The rest of the textiles: 30 textiles will be available for me.

IMAGE: Bottow row, second from right.

Exhibition History

• 32Q: 3620 University Study Gallery, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 08/31/2019 - 01/08/2020

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