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This square convex tablet made of clay is inscribed on one side with an early form of cuneiform writing in which many of the signs are drawings of the things they represent (pictographic). This tablet is similar to those found in the city of Uruk, where writing first developed; clay tablets such as this one are among the earliest known written records. While most texts dealt with administrative procedures, others served as practice tablets for the education of scribal students. The latter often consisted of lists of objects, places, or occupations. The writing system at this time was already highly developed, with more than 1,200 different signs.

 Chicago Stone

Name: Archaic Clay Tablet

Material: Clay

Size:
Length: 4.6 cm (1.8 in)
Width: 4.4 cm (1.73 in)
Depth: 2.4 cm (0.94 in)

Date: 3100–2900 BCE

Place of Origin: Unknown

Location: Oriental Institute Museum, Chicago, Illinois

Source and Registration#:
Oriental Institute Museum A2513
Link to resource (accessed May 13, 2010).

Christopher Woods

Associate Professor of Sumerology, University of Chicago