Ancient clay tablet has revealed locations of 11 'lost cities' from 4,000 years ago

Metro.co.uk ^ | Wednesday, November 15, 2017 | Rob Waugh

[SunkenCiv]

Baked clay tablets from ancient Assyria, dating back as much as 4,000 years, could reveal the locations of 11 'lost cities' in modern-day Turkey.

Harvard researchers analysed tablets found in the ancient city of Kanesh, the 12,000 cuneiform trade records include business transactions, accounts, seals and contracts.

The researchers used mathematical models based on the price of goods and how frequently goods travelled between trade hubs to track down the locations of the ancient cities.

Researchers reconstructed an economic network of trade goods such as wool, wine and precious metals across the Anatolian plateau in the 19th Century BC.

The researchers believe they've identified 15 cities which have already been found – and 11 which have not, according to IFLScience.

The merchants settled in Turkey 4,000 years ago, trading in tin and fabrics.

Records include recollections from traders, including one who wrote, 'I met with the king in Ninassa, but . . . he did not buy a single textile.'

The city of Sinahuttum is described as a 'market for donkeys' and a popular place to exchange wool

The records come from Kanesh, near the modern Turkish city of Kayseri.

[BenLurkin]

Very cool

[ETL]

[txnativegop]

Thanks for the post, SunkenCiv!

[Tax-chick]

Cool!

[Architect of Avalon]

Unfortunately, another one of the tablets is from an Assyrian secretary, and refers to the most unsavory etching her boss made on a stone tablet.

[Architect of Avalon]

Cities were often built on top of cities.

[jeffc]

How do you read something like that? It’s as Greek to me as rap music...

[little jeremiah]

Fascinating.

[BobL]

“Baked clay tablets from ancient Assyria...”

They can’t even spell SYRIA correctly, and they want us to vote against Moore because they claim to know more than us?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks for liking it and saying so. :”)

[SunkenCiv]

The cracking of cuneiform was, in my opinion, the greatest decipherment ever done. And as a writing system it was in use at least as long as the alphabet has been, and like the alphabet (even better than that) was adapted to record loads of ancient languages. This means, the inscriptions can always be pronounced, even if they are in an unknown language. Very handy. So-called Hittite was cracked by Emil Forrer, a Swiss guy with a French name (looks like), who realized the words he was pronouncing had things in common with German, and worked his way in from that.

[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure, and thanks for the kind remarks.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin for posting that map, and thanks mrsmith for finding the link to that page, I couldn't seem to find anything, and my poor old machine wouldn't load the Washington ComPost article because, gosh, my machine isn't all modern-like.

[Larry Lucido]

Ancient clay tablets are hard to fold, but sometimes you need more than GPS and Rand McNally in your car.

[BenLurkin]

Looks like the thing is an expense report. Guy was putting in for reimbursement.

[BobL]

Thanks! My ancient-history knowledge cannot hold a candle to you, or probably most of the people here, but I do know that much regarding Assyria, and couldn’t resist - kind of like me calling Puerto Ricans Illegal Aliens when they come here.

[SueRae]

How cool is this!

[SueRae]

Hahahaha...sidesplitting!!!

[RegulatorCountry]

For the best donkey deals in the Tri-Citystate area*, come on down to Crazy Ganeshi's, he's Craaaaaazy! *You must open an account with Crazy Ganeshi's. Account opening offer may vary by store. To qualify for this offer you must {I apply and be approved for a consumer Crazy Ganeshi's Credit Card account and {II} make a qualifying purchase at Crazy Ganeshi's the same day you open your account (excluding cash advances, gift card sales, money orders, and dried dung purchases). Purchase must be made with your new Crazy Ganeshi's Credit Card account. Applicants who do not receive a credit decision the day they apply but are later approved will receive a comparable offer certificate in their credit card package. Regular credit terms apply. A credit to the account will appear within 1-2 billing periods after the qualifying purchase is made. Offer is valid for newly opened accounts only and each account is eligible for only one 35 Shekel offer. Offer valid through December 31, 43000 BC.