Clay Tablets from the Central Livestock Bureau
Clay
Puzrish-Dagan
5.8 cm x 3.9 cm x 2.6 cm
A4627
Oriental Institute Museum
Clay Tablets from the Central Livestock Bureau
The governments of ancient Mesopotamia employed scribes to keep records on administrative matters such as the payment of wages, the collecting of taxes, and the movement of goods. The tablets on which these records were kept are the most common type found in museums today. Scholars use these tablets (and the information they contain) to reconstruct the ancient economy and the workings of the Mesopotamian state. This tablet is one of a series (referred to collectively as "An Accountant's Dream") recording the business activities of the central livestock bureau in the town of Puzrish-Dagan in 2041 BC. It records the receipt of donkeys, sheep, and goats.
Multimedia
Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
What was life like in ancient Mesopotamia? Find out in this video featuring Oriental Institute Assyriologist Dr. Martha Roth.
An Early Clay Tablet
See how this early clay tablet used pictures to communicate.
Suggested Readings
Hunter, Erica. First Civilizations: Cultural Atlas for Young People. New York: Facts on File, 1994.
Kramer, Samuel Noah. Cradle of Civilization. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1967.
Roaf, Michael. Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East. New York: Facts on File, 1990.
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