Cuneiform tablet: account of delivery of field rent, Ebabbar archive
Unknown Artist
ca. 7th–6th century BCE
Medium
Clay
Dimensions
0.55 x 0.94 x 1.22 in. (1.4 x 2.39 x 3.1 cm)
Classification
Clay-Tablets-Inscribed
Culture & Period
Babylonian (?) · Neo-Babylonian (?)
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, 1886
Accession Number
86.11.498
Art Historical Context
This unassuming clay tablet, measuring just 0.55 x 0.94 x 1.22 inches, offers a fascinating glimpse into the bureaucratic heart of ancient Mesopotamia. Dating to around the 7th–6th century BCE during the Neo-Babylon period (?), it records an account of field rent delivery from the Ebabbar archive, likely linked to Babylonian administrative practices. Inscribed with cuneiform—the wedge-shaped script pressed into soft clay with a reed stylus—this artifact highlights the precision of ancient record-keeping, where everyday economic transactions were meticulously documented for temples, palaces, or...