A 3500-year-old clay tablet covered in ancient writing has been translated in Turkey – and what it says is surprising.
The tablet, which measures just 4.2cm by 3.5cm, and is 1.6cm thick, its thickness of 1.6 cm and its weight of 27.85 grams, was found during restoration work after an earthquake hit the historical city of Alalakh.
It is covered in a form of Akkadian cuneiform writing, one of the earliest known written human languages.
As for what it says – well, Turkish researchers have determined it’s a shopping list.
Specifically, translated lines detail the purchase of a “large” amount of wooden tables, chairs and stools, presumably from a trip to a Bronze Age Ikea.
“We believe that this tablet, weighing 28 grams, will provide a new perspective in terms of understanding the economic structure and state system of the Late Bronze Age,” Turkish culture and tourism minister Mehmet Ersoy said in a translated statement.
Alalakh, near the modern Syrian border, was a thriving urban centre during the Late Bronze Age, but was founded even early, during the third millennium BCE.
At one point it was the capital of the lost kingdom of Mukis.
It is believed to have last been inhabited around 600 BCE, and became an archaeological dig site during the 20th century.
Watch every moment, every medal of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event ad-free and in 4K on Stan Sport.
