Ancient Mesopotamian clay tablets reveal intricate details of how empire was governed

"The tablets contain details about everything from scholarly texts to sheep and barley rations. They date back to the Akkad period (2300BC-2150BC), which, Rey tells The Art Newspaper, was “an extremely important period in Mesopotamian history—featuring charismatic kings such as Naram-Sin, the first to proclaim himself divine—and a crucial moment in world history, since it marked the rise of the very first recorded empire”.

Among the clay tablets are school texts, Rey says. “These are the remains of the scribal training process for the administrators of the state’s archives under Akkad imperial rule. It’s a fabulous discovery.”

The sealings, he says, are broken impressions on clay of the seal of Lugal-ushumgal, the governor of Lagash, a city close to Girsu, who was directly appointed by Naram-Sin and reported to him. Using the fragments, Rey and his team were able to reconstruct the entire seal, revealing text that reads: “Naram-Sin, the mighty, god of Akkad, king of the four quarters (of the world): Lugal-ushumgal, the scribe, governor, your servant.”

“It says it all,” Rey continues. “Total control.”

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Ancient Mesopotamian clay tablets discovered in Iraq reveal intricate details of how empire was governed

The finds, which also include dozens of clay sealings, contain details of a metric system used to measure resources, as well as evidence of a cult of personality around a particularly charismatic ruler

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