Ancient Sumerian Cuneiform Pottery Tablet – Mesopotamia, Old Babylonian Period, circa 2000–1600 BCE

This ancient pottery tablet originates from Mesopotamia, within the cultural sphere of Sumer and Babylon, and dates to the Old Babylonian Period, circa 2000 to 1600 BCE. It bears the worn remains of cuneiform, one of the earliest known systems of writing, developed to record administrative, legal, and literary texts in the ancient Near East.

Though heavily weathered by time, the tablet preserves softened impressions of hand-incised cuneiform signs. The surface shows significant age-related wear and flaking, yet the object remains a powerful material witness to early literacy and record-keeping practices at the dawn of complex civilization. Tablets of this type once functioned as durable records for commerce, taxation, correspondence, or education, offering insight into the bureaucratic and intellectual life of ancient Mesopotamia.

The tablet is housed in a protective plastic display case for stabilization and presentation.

Dimensions

Tablet: 1.4 in L × 1.4 in W (3.6 cm × 3.6 cm)
Display case included

Provenance

East Coast collection; New York gallery, New York City, New York, USA.

Condition

Loss to one corner, as shown. Poor condition with active surface flaking; the cuneiform text is now nearly indiscernible. Presented in a plastic display case.