A 3,500 year old Ancient Shopping List uncovered!
An exciting discovery has been made at the Aççana Mound, the ancient city of Alalah, in southern Turkey's Hatay Province. During restoration work as part of a post-earthquake reconstruction project, archaeologists uncovered a 3,500-year-old cuneiform tablet. This tablet offers an extensive furniture shopping list, shedding light on the everyday life and economic practices of a thriving ancient civilization.
Alalah, located in the district of Reyhanlı near the Syrian border, was a prominent urban settlement in the 2nd millennium BCE. It was primarily inhabited by the Amorites, a Bronze Age people from the Levant. The excavation site is now a large mound covering approximately 22 hectares.
Photo Credit: Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Turkey's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Ersoy, shared the exciting news of the discovery. He emphasized the tablet's significance, stating, “We believe that this tablet, weighing 28 grams, will provide a new perspective on our understanding of the rich heritage of Anatolia for future generations.”
The tablet, dating back to the 15th century BCE, measures 4.2 by 3.5 cm and is 1.6 cm thick, weighing about 28 grams. It is inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform, one of the earliest known writing systems developed by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia. Akkadian, an extinct Semitic language, was widely spoken in the ancient Near East.
The text on the tablet details an administrative record of extensive furniture purchases, including wooden tables, chairs, and stools. The inscriptions not only list the items but also provide information about the buyers and sellers involved in these transactions.
Linguists and researchers, including Associate Professor Dr. Jacob Lauinger and his doctoral student Zeynep Türker from Johns Hopkins University, are meticulously deciphering the tablet. Their work reveals that Alalah was a significant commercial and administrative center, strategically located on important trade routes. The records suggest a highly organized economic system used for planning and decision-making.
The ongoing research aims to further understand the economic and administrative intricacies of ancient Alalah. Experts are particularly interested in the quantities of the items listed and the specifics of the trade logistics mentioned in the tablet.
“This tablet provides a new perspective in terms of understanding the economic structure and state system of the Late Bronze Age,” Ersoy noted.
This remarkable find offers a glimpse into the past, illustrating the advanced economic practices of an ancient civilization and enriching our knowledge of the heritage of Anatolia.