Cuneiform Tablet from the Ziggurat of Puzrish-Dagan

Culture: Mesopotamia

Period: Ur III Period, 2048 B.C.

Material: Clay

Dimensions: 4.5 cm x 4 cm

Price: Reserved

Ref: 6549

Provenance: Auction G. Hirsch und Nachfolger 179, 1993, lot 1772. There acquired by the collection J. K. -E., Hessen, Germany. Last in the German art market.

Condition: Intact

Description: Magnificent cuneiform tablet from the court in Puzrish-Dagan, a city only a few kilometres southeast of Nippur. The text on both sides is an exact dated settlement of the state stockyard to court officials, who before placed an order. Delivered were one young goat, one lamb, two fattened sheep, 19 sheep, 28 ewes, two billy goats, one goat and two bulls. It is further mentioned literally: “They were deducted from the account of Nasa for the mastyard, as offerings to the gods Enlil and Ninlil, his wife, and as slaughter cattle for the kitchen.” In Puzrish-Dagan around 12,000 cuneiform tablets were found in the early 20th century, the majority were sold in the ancient art market and are today in renowned museums, such as the Royal Ontario Museum, Harvard Museum or the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures in Chicago.