Museum Exhibition

Writing in Mesopotamia

The theme of my exhibition is writing. The reason that I chose writing is the ability to

clearly record events has the ability to remove doubt on the details of said event. The event in

question could be an important battle, religious texts, political documents, laws, or just about

anything that would benefit from recording the specifics of the situation. Having these things

recorded in a format that is unambiguous is very beneficial to being able to understand a

civilization from the past.

Ancient Will – 2041 BCE

This is a legal document from Mesopotamia that was made toward

the end of the third millennia BCE that dictates how the estate of a family

will be distributed upon the death of the patriarch. It is written in

cuneiform which is believed to be the oldest form of writing. The ability to

accurately record a person’s possessions and who will inherit what

property or titles is important to a stable society.

Legal Decision – 1900 BCE

This tablet was found at a dig site in the Upper Zab River

Valley and dates to the early second millennia BCE. It is a record

of a legal dispute and the decision made by a panel of judges. By

writing the results of the dispute down the parties involved as

well as the legal authorities had a record of the outcome to

present if there were any further disagreements on the subject.

Litigation Document – 1726 BCE

Here is another legal document from the second millennia BCE that is

written in cuneiform. In this case it is the results of some litigation ruled on by the

legal system. According to the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago early

Mesopotamian writing was done using simple pictures called pictograms but they

“eventually reduced pictograms into a series of wedge-shaped signs that they

pressed into clay with a reed stylus” (“Life in Mesopotamia”).

Tax Receipt – 1634 BCE

Here is a tablet found in the Lower Zab River Valley that documents the

payment of taxes by an individual. This acted as proof that they had paid there

share to the kingdom. The Mesopotamians did not use money, instead they

used a form of barter based on an amount of barley. “Eventually, silver

replaced barley as the medium of exchange” (“Life in Mesopotamia”) but not in the form of

coins. They continued to base the value on its weight in barley.

Account of Archers – 514 BCE

Cuneiform was used for more than recording legal

documents. In the case of this clay tablet it is an account of

the actions of a group of archers in a battle. This could have

been used for the planning of future battles, to create

inspiring stories of heroism, or to simply entertain. The

Mesopotamians used their powerful military to maintain and grow the size of the empire and

records like this may have helped.

Purchase Receipt – 2041 BCE

Unlike the previous tablets that were government

related records this tablet is a receipt for a private sale. Dating

back to the late third millennia BCE this is a receipt for the

purchase of oxen. In the same way as a receipt is used today this

would be a way of proving ownership after a transaction to

prevent any potential disputes.

 Works Cited

“Virtual Dig.” Virtual Dig, Schoolcraft College,

bbaddins.schoolcraft.edu/addins/HIST134/captivates/M2_Dig/multiscreen.html.

Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. “Life In Mesopotamia.” Ancient Mesopotamia: This

History, Our History. Life in Mesopotamia, The University of Chicago,

mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/mesopotamialife/index.php.