Fragment of Cuneiform Tablet: Old Assyrian Account Text

Fragment of clay tablet with cuneiform writing. The fragment is inscribed with ruled lines of text written in the Old Assyrian dialect of Akkadian. This fragment represents the lower left corner of a tablet with written lines partially preserved on lower edge, left edge and reverse surface. The obverse is almost completely missing and no seal impressions are preserved. The tablet probably comes from the trading colony (karum) by the mound of Kültepe (ancient Kanesh) near Kaiseri in Cappadocia (central Anatolia). Much of the text is missing, but what can be read seems to be a caravan account, describing the transport of goods in Anatolia. The text mentions various quantities of different types of textiles (rev. line 1, Akkadian šurum-textiles; rev. lines 3 and 9, kutanu-textile) as well as different amounts of silver, perhaps representing the price(s) of the textiles. A large quantity of metal, maybe tin, is also mentioned (rev. lines 6-7). The only name preserved is one Šalim-ahum, a common choice of personal name in this period. IMAGE: Bottom row, first on left.