jan 1, 3200 BC - Cuneiform Tablet

Description:

First appearing in ancient Mesopotamia around 3200 BCE, clay tablets are the precursor to the portable information format of the book, and provide some of the earliest examples of human writing (Galbraith, 2020). Initially, they were largely used for accounting and record-keeping. However, as writing systems became more sophisticated they were used to record everything from the earliest forms of literature to legal contracts (Sington, 2020).

About the image: This text is a fragment of a Neo-Assyrian (930-612 BCE) clay tablet. It contains information on the treatment of the sick, including prescriptions and ceremonies (The Trustees of the British Museum).

SOURCES
Galbraith, S. K. (2020). A Brief History of the Book: From Tablet to Tablet. Libraries Unlimited.
Sington, D. (Director). (2020). A to Z: The First Alphabet. [Video/DVD]. In NOVA. Public Broadcasting Service. https://video-alexanderstreet-com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/watch/hour-1?utm_campaign=Video&utm_medium=MARC&utm_source=aspresolver


IMAGES
Tablet. (Neo-Assyrian, 10th - 7th century BCE). [Clay]. The British Museum, London, United Kingdom. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_SM-1491.

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