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Period
35 of 102,257 tablets · 6 filters activeClear filters
1–35 of 35
~3500 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
Kish Tablet
Marks the boundary between proto-writing and writing. We can see signs being used systematically — but not yet phonetically. The leap to recording speech itself comes a few centuries later.
Writing & Literature
~3300 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
Clay tablet, late Uruk period, 3300-3100 BCE. Proto-cuneiform signs, food issue list " rations" written by combining a human head and a bowl. Purchased via Christie's in 1989, with contribution from the British Museum Friends
Tablet image sourced from Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). No scholarly translation referenced in source metadata. Source description: Clay tablet, late Uruk period, 3300-3100 BCE. Proto-cuneiform signs, food issue list " rations" written by combining a human head and a bowl (the triangular object…
EconomyDaily Life~3200 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
Proto-Cuneiform Account Tablet
One of the earliest specimens of human writing. Not literature, not law — accounting. The need to keep track of grain in a temple bureaucracy is what pushed marks-on-clay into a system that could one day carry epics.
Writing & LiteratureEconomy
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodOur engine
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 183
1. [1(N01)] : [......] (broken) 2. 1(N01) : [......] KAB 3. 1(N01) : NAM2 DI 4. 1(N01) : NAM2 NAM2 5. 1(N01) : [......] (broken) 6. 1(N01) : NAM2 PA RAD 7. 1(N01) : AB ME 8. 1(N01) : GAL, 1(N58).BAD (compound sign) 9. 1(N01) : EN [......] (broken) 10. 1(N01) : [......] (broken) 11. 1(N01) : [......] (broken) 12. 1(N01) : [......] (broken) 13. 41 (4(N14) 1(N01)) : X [......] (broken — closing total line)
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodOur engine
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 184
1(N01) , [...] SUKKAL (vizier/minister) 1(N01) , GAL~a GA~a ("great" + milk/dairy) [1(N01)] , [...] 1(N01) , GAL~a NESAG2~a ("great" + first-fruit offering) 1(N01) , GAL~a TUR3~a ("great" + livestock pen/enclosure) 1(N01)# , [GAL~a] UMUN2# ("[great]" + lord/UMUN2) 1(N01) , GAL~a# [...] ("great" + [...]) 1(N01) , IM~a# TUR# (clay/tablet(?) + TUR) [N] , [...]
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodOur engine
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 188
1 (N01) — NAM2-EŠDA 1 (N01) — NAM2 KAB(?) 1 (N01) — NAM2 DI 1 (N01) — NAM2 NAM2 1 (N01) — NAM2 URU(?) 1 (N01) — PA ŠE NAM2 1 (N01) — NAM2 RAD 1 (N01) — AB ME(?) 1 (N01) — GAL [x] 1 (N01) — EN(?) [...] 1 (N01) — [x] [...] 1 (N01) — [x] [...] 1 (N01) — [...] 1 (N01) — [...] (Reverse/lower line) [n] 1 (N14) — EN 2 (N57) [E2 ...]
Writing & LiteratureDaily Life
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodOur engine
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 194
1(N01) , NAM2@t DI@t 1(N01) , NAM2@t NAM2#? 1(N01) , NAM2@t URU~a1# [1(N01)] , [...] NAM2@t# 1(N01) , SZE~a# NAM2@t 1(N01) , NAM2@t RAD~a@t! PA~a 1(N01) , [...] 1(N01) , KINGAL 1(N01) , GAL~a TE 1(N01) , SUKKAL [...] 4(N14) 1(N01) [N] , X [...]
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodOur engine
CDLI Lexical 000022, ex. 032
Entry 1: 1(N01) — GIŠ ... HI ... GIŠ ... TUN₃~a Entry 2: [1(N01)] — [GIŠ] AD~a(damaged) Entry 3: [1(N01)] — [...] (broken) Entry 4: 1(N01) — SI TAG~b GIŠ Entry 5: [1(N01)] — [...] (broken) Entry 6: [N] — [...] (broken)
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodOur engine
CDLI Lexical 000023, ex. 098
(obverse, single preserved column) [1] , [entry lost] [1] , one jar (DUG) with [unidentified] contents [1] , one jar containing naga (alkali-plant)(?) 1 , one jar with [unidentified] contents 1 , [entry lost] 1 , GAN-container(?) [...] 1 , GAN-container(?) [...] [n] , [entry lost] (remainder broken)
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodOur engine
CDLI Lexical 000026, ex. 055
1(N01), [...] 1(N01), URI 1(N01), MUD3~a(?) 1(N01), MUD3@g 1(N01), MIR~b 1(N01), [...] 1(N01), [...] 1(N34) 2(N14) [...], [...]
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodOur engine
CDLI Lexical 000026, ex. 056
1(N01) , X [sign broken/illegible] 1(N01) , SZAKIR~b [commodity sign, unknown referent] 1(N01) , [......] 1(N01) , [......] 1(N01) , [......] 1(N01) , [......] 1(N01) , [......] 1(N01) , SZU2-GU 1(N01) , SZU2-GU [......] 1(N01) , GAL~a TUN3~a ("large TUN3~a"-vessel/implement) 1(N01) , 2(N57) SZU TUN3~a 1(N01) , 1(N57)? SZU TUN3~a 1(N01) , AL(?) [......] 1(N01) , [......] 1(N34) 4(N01) , [......] (summary/total line)
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 176
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 176. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 182
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 182. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 185
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 185. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 186
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 186. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000022, ex. 031
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000022, ex. 031. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000023, ex. 097
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000023, ex. 097. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical Archaic Unidentified, ex. 127
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical Archaic Unidentified, ex. 127. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical Archaic Unidentified, ex. 128
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical Archaic Unidentified, ex. 128. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
MS 2900/04
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — MS 2900/04. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
Trudy Otdela Vostoka 3 p. 27ff.:2
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — Trudy Otdela Vostoka 3 p. 27ff.:2. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Religion & MythDaily Life
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 177
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 177. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 178
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 178. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 179
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 179. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 180
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 180. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 181
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 181. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 187
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 187. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 189
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 189. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 190
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 190. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 192
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 192. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000023, ex. 001
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000023, ex. 001. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000023, ex. 095
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000023, ex. 095. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000023, ex. 096
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000023, ex. 096. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
CDLI Lexical 000265, ex. 011
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — CDLI Lexical 000265, ex. 011. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature
~3100 BCE·Uruk PeriodEditorial
MSVO 1, 243
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — MSVO 1, 243. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Writing & Literature