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(On left of photograph) Fragment from Second Tablet of The Epic of Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh was a legendary king of the city of Uruk. Several stories were written about him in Sumerian. These stories later formed the basis of the later Epic of Gilgamesh, the most famous of all Akkadian literary compositions. This fragment is from the second tablet of the Gilgamesh epic, which describes the civilizing of the wild man, Enkidu, his fight with Gilgamesh, and the friendship that eventually ensues between the two. Seeking everlasting fame and glory, Gilgamesh and Enkidu plan an expedition to the Cedar Forest to slay its guardian, the monster, Humbaba.

 Mathematical "Textbook"

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

Tablet Size:
Length: 6.5 cm (2.56 in)
Width: 6.5 cm (2.56 in)
Depth: 1.5 cm (0.59 in)

Plaque Size:
Length: 27.5 cm (10.83 in)
Width: 8.5 cm (3.35 in)
Depth: 6.5 cm (2.56 in)

Date:
Tablet: 625–539 BCE
Plaque: 2000–1600 BCE

Place of Origin:
Tablet: Uruk, Iraq
Plaque: Unknown

Location: Oriental Institute Museum, Chicago, Illinois

Source and Registration#: Oriental Institute Museum. A3444 (Tablet); A9325 (Plaque)
Tablet: Link to resource (accessed May 13, 2010).
Plaque: Link to resource (accessed May 13, 2010).

Christopher Woods

Associate Professor of Sumerology, University of Chicago