Archaeologists in Turkey have made a surprising discovery while completing restoration work following an earthquake, which will “offer a new perspective” on life in the 15th century BC.
The Akkadian cuneiform tablet, found at the ancient archaeological site of Aççana Höyük, dates back thousands of years.
According to the British Museum in London, cuneiform writing is a suitable form of writing distinct from the alphabet.
The relic measures between 4.2 and 3.5 cm and is 1.6 cm thick, according to a press release from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey.
It is thought to be an administrative record – or sales receipt – and details a large number of furniture purchases.
Archaeologists in Turkey have made a surprising discovery while completing restoration work following the earthquake, which will “offer a new perspective” on life in the 15th century BC.
“During the ongoing works at Aççana Höyük, known as “Old Alalah”, in the Reyhanlı district of Hatay, a very important plaque came to light,” wrote Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey.
‘According to the earliest readings, B.C. The Akkadian cuneiform tablet, dating from the 15th century, contains records of purchases of large quantities of furniture.
‘We believe that this tablet, weighing 28 grams, will offer a new perspective for understanding the economic structure and state system of the Late Bronze Age.’
The minister said the newly discovered artifact appears to be written in Akkadian, a type of cuneiform script.
According to the British Museum, cuneiform is the oldest form of writing in the world.
The website notes that the tablet has no “letters” but instead uses between 600 and 1,000 characters printed in clay to spell out words by breaking them down into syllables.
In 2018, researchers found a similar clay tablet engraved with a complaint from a disgruntled customer.
The buyer had acquired some copper and was apparently dissatisfied, sharing his thoughts with a merchant named Ea-nāṣir in the ancient city-state of Ur, circa 1750 BC.
The minister said the newly discovered artifact appears to be written in Akkadian, a type of cuneiform script.
Earlier this year, archaeologists discovered what is believed to be the world’s oldest calendar, also in Turkey.
Etched into a 12,000-year-old stone pillar at the mysterious site of Göbekli Tepe, experts claim it could rewrite our timeline of civilization.
The timekeeping system strongly suggests that ancient humans had accurate ways of measuring time 10,000 years before it was documented in Ancient Greece in 150 BC.
Last week, archaeologists may have proven the existence of a long-lost temple where Jesus is said to have performed miracles.
Several New Testament passages describe how he preached and healed the sick inside a synagogue in the ancient Israeli city of Chorazin.
Jews from around the world have been traveling to a holy site in Korazim National Park in the north, where historical records place the temple.
A synagogue built in 380 AD was discovered in the early 20th century, but there was no physical evidence dating it back to the time of Jesus – until now.
While excavating the synagogue discovered in 1905, a team of archaeologists discovered the ruins of an even older temple buried beneath.
