[blam]

"This wording is a bit confusing. I wonder if it means "dating back 5000 years" or "dating back to 5000 BC"?"

I agree. Understood it to mean 1800BC is confirmed and 5000BC is suspected.(?) Or, 1800BC has been excavated and 5,000BC hasn't. (?)

[Fedora]

I'm trying to find another article covering the same story to clarify it. This one looks like it might be a translation of the same original but it's worded slightly differently:

Assyrian Cuneiform Tablets, Royal Stamp Unearthed in Syria

He added: "There are a collection of cuneiform tablets and potteries in addition to the buildings dating back to 5000 BC."