Sumerian Clay Tablet with Cuneiform Script Circa 3rd-2nd millennium BC This pillow-shaped administrative tablet is impressed with neat vertical columns of wedge-shaped cuneiform signs. Cuneiform is the earliest known writing system in Mesopotamia, developed by the Sumerians in the late 4th millennium BC. Signs were made by pressing a cut reed stylus into damp clay, creating standardised wedges and strokes used both logographically (for words) and phonetically (for syllables). The script was adapted to several languages: Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Hittite, among others. Dimensions: 4cm x 3cm x 2cm Provenance: Private European Collection; formerly acquired from old UK and European collection formed since the 1970s. Disclaimer: NO SHIPPING OUTSIDE of THE EUROPEAN UNION. All items will be shipped from Belgium. The seller guarantees and can prove that the object was obtained legally. The seller was informed by Catawiki that they had to provide the documentation required by the laws and regulations in their country of residence. The seller guarantees and is entitled to sell/export this object. The seller will provide all provenance information known about the object to the buyer. The seller ensures that any necessary permits are/will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer immediately about any delays in obtaining such permits. The seller will not ship outside the EU.