AS87307. condition: Buff clay, 5.27 x 4.36 cm; complete and intact, additional comments: from an American Collection, ex Edgar L. Owen Ltd. (2012), ex collection of a New York City professional entertainer (acquired in 1980's)No documentation offered upfront. Trite narrativisation:
Ancient Mesopotamia and Sumerian culture are the 'cradle of civilization.' Man's recording of history, science, mathematics, and literature began with clay and a reed stylus. Only a small percentage of tablets have been translated. Reading cuneiform is extremely difficult and a word for word translation is often impossible. Often it is only possible to get the gist of a tablet. Most are receipts for payments in kind, the number of lambs, goats, or oxen donated to a temple, for example. This tablet is untranslated but it is perhaps this type of receipt.
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Edgar J. Owen of the sketchy Lydian stele fame. At one point he professed to not know what to put on US customs for as to country of origin when importing items. Pfffffft!
ReplyDeleteMr Owen is indeed a very interesting dealer that would be worth taking an interest in...
ReplyDelete