Clay Tablet with Cuneiform Writing Found, Contains Furniture Shopping List from the Bronze Age

In a significant archaeological discovery, the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, Mehmet Ersoy, has announced the discovery of an ancient cuneiform tablet at the site of Aççana Höyük, also known as the ancient city of Alalah, located in the district of Reyhanlı, Hatay.

This tablet, which has been hidden for millennia, has come to light as a valuable document providing new insights into the economy and administration of the Bronze Age.

Preliminary analyses indicate that it dates back to the 15th century BC, a period corresponding to the Late Bronze Age. The most fascinating aspect is that the text is written in Akkadian cuneiform, highlighting the importance of Alalah as a commercial and administrative center in the ancient world.

According to Minister Ersoy, this 28-gram artifact could offer a new perspective on the economic structure and state system of that era.

This discovery is particularly significant because the tablet contains detailed administrative records about a large-scale furniture exchange. Linguists and experts are carefully examining the inscriptions, which mention a substantial amount of wooden tables, chairs, and stools, providing clues about the buyers, sellers, and trade logistics of the time.

These detailed inscriptions not only reveal commercial transactions but also reflect the sophistication of the economic and administrative system of that time.

Minister Ersoy expressed his gratitude to the teams of the Directorate of Excavations of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, who have worked with great dedication to preserve and uncover the rich heritage of Anatolia. We are committed to the meticulous work of protecting our nation’s historical legacy for future generations, Ersoy stated in an official statement.

The site of Aççana Höyük, where the tablet was discovered, has been the subject of study for many years due to its historical and archaeological significance. Alalah, which was a prosperous city in its time, was strategically located on an important trade route, facilitating its growth as a center of trade and administration.

The research on the tablet, which measures 4.2 by 3.5 cm with a thickness of 1.6 cm, was conducted in collaboration with prominent scholars from Johns Hopkins University, including Associate Professor Dr. Jacob Lauinger and his doctoral student Zeynep Türker.

The researchers continue to decipher the inscriptions on the tablet, paying special attention to details that reveal information about the parties involved in the furniture exchange, the precise quantities of the items, and the complexities of commercial transactions of the era. Preliminary findings suggest that the society of Alalah had a highly organized economic system, with records that could have been used for economic planning and administrative decision-making.

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