Middle Bronze Age–Old Assyrian Trading Colony
Date: ca. 20th–19th century B.C.
Geography: Anatolia, probably from Kültepe (Karum Kanesh)
Kültepe, the ancient city of Kanesh, was a powerful and cosmopolitan city located in northern Cappadocia in central Anatolia. During the top early second millennium B.C., it became part of the network of trading settlements established across the region by merchants from Ashur (in Assyria in northern Mesopotamia).
This cuneiform text, read from left to right, documents 6 minas (c. 3 kg) of silver owed by two men to the merchant Ashur-idi. The text states one third of the loan must be paid by the next harvest and the rest at a later date. If it is not repaid by that time it will accrue interest charged at a monthly rate. Witnesses are listed in the text, and their seals appear on the clay envelope or case which contained the tablet (66.245.17b).
**The image is the original photograph of the tablet in the museum. The tablet we will send may have some typographical errors. Please order with this in mind.
Product code: Replica Cuneiform Tablet: Loan of Silver top