Cuneiform tablet: student exercise tablet
On this tablet, the name of the deity Urash was copied six times. (Additional signs seem to be present on the reverse but are too damaged to read.) Two signs were used to write this name: the first star-like sign on the left is a sign that was used to indicate the name of a divine being. The second sign could be used to write the syllable ib or ip; here it stands for Urash, the name of a deity. Cuneiform signs were used to render both words and sounds, and a single sign could signify multiple words and/or sounds. The study of cuneiform writing, therefore, required the mastery of several hundred signs and their different meanings.
Artwork Details
- Title: Cuneiform tablet: student exercise tablet
- Period: Old Babylonian
- Date: ca. 20th–16th century BCE
- Geography: Mesopotamia
- Culture: Babylonian
- Medium: Clay
- Dimensions: 7.6 x 2.9 cm (3 x 1 1/8 in.)
- Credit Line: Purchase, 1886
- Object Number: 86.11.251
- Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art
More Artwork
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Related Content
Timeline of Art History
Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.