Sumerian Clay Tablet Recording Sacrificial Birds

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Sumerian Clay Tablet Recording Sacrificial Birds

Place of OriginIraq, Puzriš-Dagan (modern Drehem)

Date2049 BCE

Dimensions1 × 7/8 in. (2.5 × 2.3 cm)

MediumClay

ClassificationUtilitarian Objects

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number

1913.511

Not on View

DescriptionRectangular clay tablet with cuneiform inscription on obverse and reverse; administrative text in Sumerian script; surface worn but legible.

Label TextThis cuneiform tablet is an administrative record from the Ur III period (ca. 2100–2000 BCE), originating from Puzriš-Dagan (modern Drehem), an important center for the management of livestock and offerings. It details the acquisition of two ducks, including a specifically noted yellow duck, which were intended for sacrifice. The text references the palace’s involvement in religious practices and includes a precise date: the 30th day of the 10th month in the 47th year of King Šulgi’s reign. Additionally, it mentions the festival of the god Anu and an event—the destruction of Kimash—providing historical context. Administrative tablets like this one offer valuable insights into the economic and religious workings of Mesopotamian state institutions.Published References

Langdon, S., "Miscellanea Assyriaca," Babyloniaca, 7, 1922-1923, p. 78, n. 14.

Van der Meiroop, Marc, "Cuneiform Tablets from The Toledo Museum of Art," Revue d'Assyriologie, no. 1, 1985, p. 18, 25, 29, repr. p. 27. “Babyloniaca 07, 078 14 Artifact Entry.” (2001) 2024. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). August 15, 2024. https://cdli.ucla.edu/P104772. http://bdtns.filol.csic.es/catalogo_directo_new.php?numBDTS=003754 https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/epsd2/P104772