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This circular tablet, written in Akkadian, was used to teach cuneiform to a young scribe. The flat side of the tablet was written on by the teacher, who assigned his student the task of listing three body parts; the nose, gall bladder, and umbilical cord. The convex side of the tablet contains the student's copy of the text.

 Fragment from Second Tablet of The Epic of Gilgamesh; Plaque with Gilgamesh and Humbaba

Name: School Text

Material: Clay

Size:
Diameter: 7.8 cm (3.07 in)

Date: 1800–1600 BCE

Place of Origin: Bismaya, Adab (Iraq)

Location: Oriental Institute Museum, Chicago, Illinois

Source and Registration#: Oriental Institute Museum A1166
Link to resource (accessed May 13, 2010).

Christopher Woods

Associate Professor of Sumerology, University of Chicago