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Archaeologists in Turkey a small 3500-year-old tablet was unearthed. After deciphering the inscriptions, the scientists were surprised, because the ancient find contained a list of purchases.
A clay tablet from the 15th century BC describes in detail what and how much furniture to buy. Among the items listed are wooden tables, chairs and stools, write LiveScience.
Scientists have not yet found out who wrote the tablet. However, experts say that the find may provide clues about the socio-economic status of the area during the Late Bronze Age. "This tablet is useful for understanding the economic structure and state system of the Late Bronze Age," said Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy.
According to the researchers, the furniture list contains Akkadian cuneiform, a logosyllabic form of writing common in the ancient Near East. Akkadian, now considered extinct, is one of the oldest known Semitic languages, spoken and written from the 3rd millennium BC to the 1st century AD. The language is related to Arabic and Hebrew. It was used over a large area: from Iran to Egypt and southern Iraq to central Turkey.
The clay tablet was found during restoration work after the earthquake that occurred in the Old City of Alalakh in the Reyhanli district of Hatay.
According to historians, in the 1350nd millennium BC, Alalakh was the capital of the Mukish kingdom and the largest settlement in the region. In the XNUMXth century BC, the city of Alalakh belonged to the Mittani Empire. The region was known for its local production of ceramics, metal and glass. By XNUMX BCE, King Shattivaza of the kingdom of Mittani ceded Alalach and the territory west of the Euphrates River to the Hittite king Suppilulium.
Archaeologists are studying tablets and other artifacts found here to understand the social dynamics of the region.
