Finding Aid for the Cumberland Clark Cuneiform Tablet collection, Old Babylonian Period (ca. 2000-1600 BCE)
Processed by Sara Brumfield in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Kelley Wolfe Bachli,
2008; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Manuscripts Division
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/
© 2011
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Cumberland Clark Cuneiform Tablet collection
Date (inclusive): Old Babylonian Period (ca. 2000-1600 BCE)
Collection number: 1826
Creator:
Anonymous.
Extent:
4 oversize boxes.
Abstract: Twenty-five cuneiform tablets from the ancient Mesopotamian school environment called eduba (literally, "house of tablets")
and includes examples ranging from simple sign exercises to advanced Sumerian literary exercises. The majority of the texts
come from the Old Babylonian period, which began after the fall of the Third Dynasty of Ur (ca. 2000 BCE) and continued until
the Hittites conquered Babylon in 1595 BCE.
Language: Finding aid is written in
English.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Administrative Information
Restrictions on Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library,
Department of Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of
the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the
copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC
Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Anonymous gift, 2007.
Processing Note
Processed by Sara Brumfield in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Kelley Wolfe Bachli,
2008.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Cumberland Clark Cuneiform Tablet collection (Collection Number 1826). Department of Special Collections,
Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.
Biography
The collection of 25 cuneiform tablets were donated in 2007 by an anonymous donor who wished to name the collection after
Cumberland Clark.
While the exact provenience of this collection is unknown, it has been established that the corpus of texts came from an ancient
Mesopotamian school environment called an
eduba (literally, "house of tablets"). It was at the
eduba that scribes received their training in the scribal arts. A student would train from early childhood to adulthood to become
a
dubsar (literally, "tablet writer"). Their curriculum, as represented in this collection, was comprised of learning sign formations,
copying lexical lists, learning mathematics, and popular epics of the Mesopotamian culture.
The majority of the texts come from the Old Babylonian period, which began after the fall of the Third Dynasty of Ur (c. 2000
BCE) and continued until the Hittites conquered Babylon in 1595 BCE. Most of the Old Babylonian period was spent in political
fragmentation, which created smaller independent scribal traditions at different cities. Only under the reign of King Hammurabi
(c. 1795-1750 BCE) was there a degree of centralization. This political environment had a direct impact on the scribal curriculum
as a uniform course of instruction would indicate a state-run school, whereas a variegated curriculum would seem to refer
to privately run schools.
It is within this context that the Cumberland Clark Cuneiform Tablet Collection exists. The content of the texts suggests
significant editing of previously standardized lexical lists and literary passages. However, the general pattern and progression
of instruction remain constant as the collection exhibits examples from the simplest sign exercises to advanced Sumerian literary
exercises.
Scope and Content
Twenty-five cuneiform tablets from the ancient Mesopotamian school environment called
eduba (literally, "house of tablets") and includes examples ranging from simple sign exercises to advanced Sumerian literary exercises.
The majority of the texts come from the Old Babylonian period, which began after the fall of the Third Dynasty of Ur (ca.
2000 BCE) and continued until the Hittites conquered Babylon in 1595 BCE.
Organization and Arrangement
Tablets are described at the item level.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Genres and Forms of Material
Cuneiform tablets.
Related Material
Container List
Box 1
Item no. 1
School text, unknown content
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 6.3x6.4x2.2cm, square tablet with rounded edges, complete
Scope and Content Note
Obverse only inscribed. The preserved portions of the text mention silver. The last line of the obverse also speaks of a
man named Lu-tar raising his hand in violence. Without the left portion of the tablet preserved a better understanding and
translation is not
possible.
Box 1
Item no. 2
School text, lexical exercise of personal names
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 6.5x7.2x2.8cm, square tablet, fragment
Scope and Content Note
A small fragment of a larger lexical exercise of listing personal names inscribed on obverse. Three of the four identified
names from this tablet correspond to UMBS (Univ. of Penn. The Museum. Publications of the Babylonian Section), Vol. XI, Nos.
702, 704,
776.
This tablet plays on the multiple meanings of one cuneiform sing. The first three names use the same sign "pu2" but draw on
a variety of
its meanings: orchard, well, pit. This is a common practice in school texts because it teaches students the different ways
to use each sign
in context.
Box 1
Item no. 3
School text, sign exercise
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 14.8x11.8x3.9cm, large rectangular tablet, complete w/ two holes on the reverse
Scope and Content Note
A two-column exercise where the teacher has written a simple sign on the left-hand side and the student practices
replicating the sign on the right side of the tablet. The signs are large and crude, typical of a young scribe just beginning
instruction.
Box 1
Item no. 4
School text, literary exercise of "Inanna and Mt. Ebih"
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 11.6x13.2x2.8cm, square tablet, complete w/ damage to the right edge
Scope and Content Note
On this tablet are lines 55-73 of the Sumerian epic "Inanna and Mt. Ebih".
Box 2
Item no. 1
School text, lexical exercise of deity names
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 11.5x6.1x3.5cm, rectangular tablet, complete, obverse has heavy surface damage, reverse is effaced
Scope and Content Note
Obverse only inscribed. This text is a list of deity names, a common lexical exercise in Old Babylonian school
curricula. The severe surface damage makes translation impossible.
Box 2
Item no. 2
School text, lexical exercise of nouns and gold jewelry
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 8.0x8.3x2.8cm, lentil, complete w/ fracture lines
Scope and Content Note
The obverse is five line list of Sumerian nouns. The reverse is a three line excerpt naming various items of gold jewelry.
This text follows the Old Babylonian Nippur lexical list: Ura 2 (lines 599, 633) and Ura 3.
Box 2
Item no. 3
School text, unknown content
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 9.5x10.1x2.8cm, lentil, complete w/ lower edge broken off
Scope and Content Note
This practice lentil is a three-line teacher-student copying exercise with significant damage. The full content of the text
is not recoverable due to the breaks in the tablet.
Box 2
Item no. 4
Administrative text, contract with witnesses
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 11.0x6.3x2.6cm, rectangular tablet, complete w/ bottom edge broken, obverse has heavy surface damage
Scope and Content Note
A significant portion of this tablet is effaced. Only fragments of information are recoverable. The last line of this text
gives the year name as "the year after Elam was destroyed", which is known to be the 30th year of Hammurabi's reign in Babylon.
This
dates to approximately 1762 BCE. The list of witnesses at the end of the tablet indicate that this was a contract, however
the exact terms
and involved parties of this contract remain unknown.
Box 2
Item no. 5
School text, sign and lexical exercises
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 7.7x7.9x2.5cm, lentil, complete w/ slight damage to the edges
Scope and Content Note
The reverse contains rudimentary sign exercise done by a young student just beginning instruction. The sign list
involves economic-oriented terms, such as basic commodities a professional scribe would be expected to keep track of in business
accounts and write receipts for. The obverse contains a lexical list, which was probably not done by the same student given
the increased
difficulty of the text on the reverse. However, it still appears to be centered on economic goods. Most likely this exercise
was for practicing
administrative vocabulary.
Box 2
Item no. 6
School text, grammatical exercise
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 8.1x7.7x2.8cm, lentil, fragment w/ right edge broken off
Scope and Content Note
A three-line school exercise written on a lentil-shaped tablet. The obverse is the teacher's example of three simple
sentences. The reverse contains the students copy of the teacher's exercise. The only preserved information is the direct
object of the
sentence. The verbs are unknown. The direct object could be three different words, and the right reading could only be determined
by the
verb. Therefore, the exact translation is unknown.
Box 2
Item no. 7
School text, lexical exercise of abstract nouns
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 8.0x8.1x2.4cm, lentil, complete w/ lower left edge broken
Scope and Content Note
A teacher-student three-line copy exercise listing abstract nouns written by the teacher on the obverse which were
then copied by the student on the reverse of the tablet plus a short colophon. Based on OB Izi, II, 234, 240. The author of
this school
exercise is identified as "Awilutum".
Box 2
Item no. 8
School text, lexical exercise of the deity Nanna
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 6.6x4.2x2.1cm, small oval tablet, fragment
Scope and Content Note
The tablet is a list of deity names. Only the first one or two signs are identifiable making a translation
impossible.
Box 2
Item no. 9
School text, mathematical exercise
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 7.5x7.3x2.2cm, lentil, complete w/ heavy surface damage
Scope and Content Note
This lentil is a mathematical exercise written by a student. Due to the heavy damage the exact nature of the math
problem is unknown. The text appears to be an exercise in adding amounts of grain. This task was a common scribal assignment
since
scribes knew mathematics as well as writing.
Box 3
Item no. 1
School text, lexical exercise of boat vocabulary
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 5.4x4.2x1.8cm, rectangular tablet, fragment
Scope and Content Note
A five-line list of types of ships and ship related vocabulary modeled after OB Nippur Ura 1, 278-288. The reverse is
effaced where only the determinative for wood or wooden objects is detectable.
Box 3
Item no. 2
School text, lexical exercise of wooden objects
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 4.5x5.0x2.2cm, square, fragment, heavily effaced
Scope and Content Note
This small tablet contains only four readable signs and appears to be a lexical list of wood or wooden objects as
denoted by its initial determinative. The entire reverse and most of the obverse are damaged.
Box 3
Item no. 3
Administrative text, unknown content
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 9.0x5.3x3.3cm, rectangular tablet, complete w/ indentations on the right edge
Scope and Content Note
The damage to the surface of this text leaves only small fragments of readable text. The content of this tablet is
administrative in nature but the only understandable commodity is silver. Information regarding the involved parties and goods
exchanged is
lost.
Box 3
Item no. 4
Cuneiform tablet, effaced
- Old Babylonian?
Physical Description: 7.7x5.2x2.8cm rectangular tablet, complete, obverse complete effaced, reverse surface worn
Scope and Content Note
This tablet is completed effaced on the obverse and mostly effaced on the reverse. Only a few non-sequitor signs are
discernible on the reverse. There is no recoverable information from this tablet.
Box 3
Item no. 5
Administrative text, farm contract in Akkadian
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 8.1x4.6x2.7cm, rectangular tablet, complete w/ broken edges on upper-left and lower-right edges
Scope and Content Note
Most of this text is damaged leaving only the reverse moderately intact. This tablet is written in Akkadian and appears
to be an administrative contract recording the exchange of farm items.
Box 3
Item no. 6
Unknown
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 10.0x6.3x2.7cm, rectangular table, complete w/ damage to left edge
Scope and Content Note
Only the reverse is inscribed, the obverse is effaced. The damage to the reverse is significant preventing a complete
transliteration or translation. The last six lines appear to be a list of types of trees. The purpose of this text is not
understood.
Box 3
Item no. 7
Administrative text, grain contract
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 8.9x4.8x2.7cm, rectangular tablet, complete w/ lower section of obverse effaced
Scope and Content Note
This tablet is an administrative text most likely from Nippur. The month name given on the tenth line of the obverse is
only attested in Nippur. The content of the text discusses the payment and receipt of grain with a list of three witness at
the end of the
text. The bottom of the reverse is damaged so no year name is given.
Box 3
Item no. 8
School text, drawing of a bovine
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 7.6x8.4x2.9cm, lentil, fragment in 2 pieces
Scope and Content Note
Obverse only inscribed. Shows a hand drawing of a zebu (with a hump on the back) cattle most likely a domesticated
animal. These bovine figures were seen as symbols of controlled strength in contrast to wild cattle, which were perceived
as reckless.
Drawings in general are a rare find in cuneiform texts, but they were essential to training the steady and refined hand of
a professional
scribe.
Box 3
Item no. 9
Unknown [illegible]
- Early Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 10.5x6.9x2.9cm, rectangular tablet, join of 2 fragments
Scope and Content Note
This four column text is too fragmentary to recreate a translation. This tablet is a join from the upper and lower half of
the tablet. This leaves a small gap in the middle of the text.
Box 4
Item no. 1
School text, lexical exercise of personal names on a prism
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 10.2x7.9x4.6cm, prism, fragment
Scope and Content Note
This 4-column prism is a student copy of an elementary lexical exercise in writing personal names. The entire exercise
is organized thematically where each name begins with the same sign and names of similar meaning or using the same sign are
grouped
together. The prism is heavily damaged and intact personal names are only recoverable from the second and third
columns.
Box 4
Item no. 2
School text, lexical exercise of personal names on a prism
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 11.0x6.9x7.5cm, prism, fragment
Scope and Content Note
This 6-column prism is a student copy of an elementary lexical exercise in writing personal names. The entire exercise
is organized thematically where each name begins with the same sign and names of similar meaning or using the same sign are
grouped
together.
Box 4
Item no. 3
School text, lexical exercise of personal names on a prism
- Old Babylonian
Physical Description: 11.7x8.2x7.0cm, prism, fragment
Scope and Content Note
This 5-column prism is a student copy of an elementary lexical exercise in writing personal names. The entire exercise
is organized thematically where each name begins with the same sign and names of similar meaning or using the same sign are
grouped
together. The prism is heavily damaged so only a few names are recoverable from the text.
