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Cuneiform writing was invented in Mesopotamia in about 3300 BCE. Clay tablets such as this one are among the earliest known written records. Most of the earliest cuneiform texts document goods, like grain, bread, beer, oil, sheep, goats, or cloth, given to or distributed by temple institutions.

Cylinder Seal Depicting Goats and Temple Façade

Name: Clay Tablet

Material: Clay

Size:
Height: 5.5 cm (2.2 in)
Width: 5.2 cm (2 in)
Depth: 1.8 cm (0.7 in)

Date: 3300-3100 BCE

Place of Origin: Unknown

Location: Oriental Institute Museum, Chicago, Illinois

Source and Registration#:
Oriental Institute Museum A2514

Geoff Emberling

Former Chief Curator, Oriental Institute Museum of the University of Chicago