Cuneiform tablet
Category
Archaeological material
Date
Unknown
Materials
Limestone?
Measurements
50 x 49 x 1.4 cm
Collection
Greenway, Devon
NT 120100
Summary
A clay cuneiform tablet with impressed text from King Ashurbanipal and dedicated to the Babylonian God Nabu.
Full description
A clay cuneiform tablet with impressed text from King Ashurbanipal and dedicated to the Babylonian God Nabu. The tablet is expressing King Ashurbanipal's thanks over the defeat of his enemies, King Teumman and the humiliation of Ummanigash, Tammaritu, Pae and Ummanaldash who were attached to his sedan chair. According to King Ashurbanipal, the God Nabu helped him conquer these countries and in his thanks, he increased the size of the courtyard to Nabu's temple at Ediza in Ninevah. Assurbanipal was king of Assyria c.669-627BC. The ancient city of Nineveh, also known in modern times as Kouyunjik, is located in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, Elam was an ancient civilisation based in the far west and south west of the area that is now Iran. Nabu, a major god in the Assyro-Babylonian pantheon was the patron of writing and thus of wisdom and learning. He was also the god of vegetation and abundant harvest. Early archaeological excavations of Nineveh were led by British archaeologist Reginald Campbell Thompson. In 1931 he invited fellow archaeologist Max Mallowan and his wife Agatha Christie to the site.
Marks and inscriptions
Front surface of tablet: Impressed cuneiform text