Cuneiform Tablet: Cleaning a Canal
1913.14.0996
Basic Information
| Artifact Identification | Cuneiform Tablet: Cleaning a Canal (1913.14.0996) |
|---|---|
| Classification/ Nomenclature |
Communication Artifacts : Documentary Artifacts : Other Documents |
| Artist/Maker | None |
| Geographic Location | Asia, West, Iraq, Umma |
| Period/Date | Ur III - Umma, 2130-2006 BC |
| Culture | Sumerian |
Physical Analysis
| Dimension 1 (Length) | 4.4 cm |
|---|---|
| Dimension 2 (Width) | 4.1 cm |
| Dimension 3 (Depth) | 1.4 cm |
| Weight | 23 g |
| Measuring Remarks | None |
| Materials | Ceramic--Earthenware |
| Manufacturing Processes | Inscribing, Handbuilding, Firing |
| Munsell Color Information | Light Brown (5YR 6.5/4) Medium Gray (N 4.75/ 17.6% R) |
Research Remarks
| Published Description | "We know these reservoirs were used because men were employed to dig them or to clean them: text 456 states that 10 men were employed to clean the reservoir of the Isalla canal. It would seem that this was done by passing baskets of silt from one man to another from the reservoir bottom to the top of the bank where the mud was then spread out. The canals themselves were cleaned in a similar manner as ext 590 {1913.14.0996] shows: 12 men were hired for two days to clean a section of the same Isalla canal. " (See 1972P.0022) |
|---|---|
| Description | N/A |
| Comparanda | N/A |
| Bibliography | Kang, Shin Teke, Sumerian Economic Texts from the Umma Archive: Sumerian and Akkadian Cuneiform Texts in the Collection of the World Heritage Museum of the University of Illinois, Volume II. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1973. Text Number 10. Kang, Shin Theke. "Irrigation In Ancient Mesopotamia.", in Water Resources Bulletin, 619-624. Urbana, Illinois: American Water Resources Association, June 1972. |
Artifact History
| Archaeological Data | N/A |
|---|---|
| Credit Line/Dedication | Edgar J. Banks Collection |
| Reproduction | no |
| Reproduction Information | N/A |