History Through Tablets

Almost all intrinsically valuable objects at Nuzi were removed by either fleeing inhabitants or conquering looters in the third quarter of the 14th century. Most important among the objects left behind were the cuneiform tablets. These were found exactly as they had been left, in family and official archives that ranged from just a few tablets to more than 2,000. Altogether, more than 8,000 tablets and fragments were recovered from Nuzi.

The tablets provide an extraordinarily detailed view of the society, economy, and everyday life in a modest ancient Near Eastern community. They are written in the Babylonian language but also preserve traces of the unrelated language of Hurrian, which was spoken by the scribes who did the writing. Included are administrative documents such as ration lists, court decisions, contracts, and a few letters.

Many of the tablets bear the impressions of personal seals, which functioned much as signatures do today. Thousands of these impressions have been preserved, and they are valuable resources for understanding ancient sealing practices and interpreting Near Eastern art during the latter part of the 2nd millennium BC.