Cuneiform

About the Collection

This collection consists of six Sumerian Cuneiform Tablets, a translation by Edgar J. Banks, research and manuscript material. Five of the tablets are approximately 1.5" x 1.5" in size. The tablets come from Ancient Mesopotamia, a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris-Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent, corresponding to most of modern day Iraq, Kuwait, the eastern parts of Syria, and Southwestern Turkey. The translation found with the tablets provides only general information about each tablet: date, place found, and general description. The translations state that three of the tablets are records of receipt for temple offerings, one a sealed temple record and one contract or business document.

South Dakota State College President Willis E. Johnson, who was president of South Dakota State College from 1919 to 1923, purchased the tablets from Edgar James Banks in 1923 for $26.00.

The sixth tablet is 4 inches wide x 6.5 inches long. This tablet was transferred to the archives from the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum. A label affixed to the tablet reads: Egyptian Prescription given me by Daphne Serles and had belonged to Dr. Earl Serles. This script was misidentified as Egyptian hieroglyphics but is indeed Sumerian Cuneiform. This tablet has no transcription.

Cuneiform tablet found at Drehem, bill of sale for 7 lambs and 4 kid goats, 2400-2100 BCE

Cuneiform tablet found at Drehem, receipt of five oxen, 2350 BCE

Cuneiform tablet mislabeled as Egyptian hieroglyphics

Cuneiform tablet found at Jokha, record of offerings to the temple, 2300 BCE

Cuneiform tablet found at Drehem, sealed temple record, 2300 BCE

Cuneiform tablet found at Senkereh, contract or business document, 2000 BCE

Transcription of Cuneiform Tablets at South Dakota State University.

Tablet Storage

New Boxes for the Cuneiform Tablet Collection

Generous Friends of the Hilton M. Briggs Library donated suspension boxes for the cuneiform tablets. These boxes allow students to safely handle and see at all sides of the tablets.

If you would like see the tablets, please contact the SDSU Archives.

Cuneiform tablet being placed in its new box

Crystal Gamradt, archivist, is placing the tablet into a a suspension box.

Box for the boxes

The suspension boxes are stored in an oversized boxes and held in place to eliminate any movement within the box.

About Cuneiform Tablets