Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered a 3,500-year-old clay tablet that was later deciphered to be a shopping list, authorities said.
Türkiye's Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Ersoy said: statement Translated into English, Live Science report Wednesday. The ancient shopping list includes “a large purchase of furniture,” according to the statement.
“We believe that this 28-gram slab will provide new insights into the understanding of the economic structure and state system of the Late Bronze Age,” Ersoy said.
The listing details the purchase of wooden chairs, tables, and stools, according to Live Science. (Related article: Explorers discover rare ancient Roman treasure).
3,500-year-old stone tablet from Türkiye turns out to be a shopping list https://t.co/IcLZFtjy4k
— Live Science (@LiveScience) July 31, 2024
Officials said the slab was discovered during post-earthquake restoration work in the ancient city of Alaraq in Hatay province. The discovery sheds light on Akkadian cuneiform writing, a “Semitic language” used in Mesopotamia (now Syria and Iraq) between 2800 BC and 500 AD. according to Omniglot.
Archaeologists believe the shopping list dates back to the 15th century BCE. It is about 1.6 inches long and half an inch thick.
Alalak is now an archaeological site near modern-day Antakya in southern Turkey, according to LiveScience. In the 2nd millennium BC, the old city served as the capital of the Mukish kingdom, the media reported.
The media added that in the 15th century, when the tablet was supposedly discovered, Alarak belonged to the Mitanni Kingdom. The region was reportedly famous for glass, metal and pottery. In 1350 BC, Mitanni was “powerful enough to join the great power club, along with Egypt, Hatti, Babylonia and Assyria.” according to Encyclopedia of World History.
