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Curious Objects: Sumerian Clay Tablet

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This curious object is a 4200 year old
Sumerian clay tablet and is the oldest
example of writing at Cambridge
University Library. So what ancient wisdom
does this historic tablet contain? Is it
philosophy, theology, a work of great
literature? No it's two geezers
transacting some business in jars of pig fat!
It comes from Zabala in Southern
Iraq a city of ancient Sumer and the
site of one of the world's oldest
civilizations. It was donated to the
library in 1921. Translated by a student
called Thomas Fish, it was subsequently
lost of view remaining unpublished and
forgotten until its rediscovery in 2016
as part of research for the Curious
Objects exhibition. The latest research
suggests the pig fat may have been used
to make soap. Thanks to Fish we know all
about how these ancient little piggies
went to market.
Category
Academic
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