An excavation in southern Iraq has provided us with a rare look into the realm of ancient bureaucracy. The researchers from British Museum and Iraq They have discovered more than 200 clay cuneiform tablets and 60 seals, which provide an extensive account of the early Akkadian Empire.
These 4,000-year-old tablets discovered in the ancient Sumerian site of Girsu (today known as Tello) provide insights into both everyday details and significant events: they document barley distributions, animal trade deals, and even record the demise of a sheep near the borders of the empire.
"These are the ledgers of empire; they represent the earliest physical proof of what may be the world's first empire," explained Sébastien Rey, who serves as the curator at the British Museum. ancient Mesopotamia and the leader of the Girsu Project, informed The Observer.
To avoid assuming that red tape is a recent creation, Rey emphasized the empire’s inclination towards administrative formalities. "They document every detail... They have an obsession with bureaucracy," he stated.
The extensive collection of administrative documents, traceable to the Akkadian era (2300-2150 BCE), offers the earliest tangible proof of the existence of the Akkadian Empire during King Sargon’s reign—the planet’s first recognized empire. empire Rey mentioned that the tablets were kept in a government archives building and provided an extensive insight into the functioning of the empire. He emphasized these as "the initial physical proof of how the empire truly operated."
As Rey pointed out, the discoveries indicate that women held important positions within this early empire. He observed that even though the society followed a patrilineal system, women occupied significant positions, such as those of a high priestess — an uncommon role for women during that era.
"Women occupied significant positions within the government. For instance, there were high priestesses, even though this was largely a male-dominated society. However, women's roles were notably more prominent compared to those in many other societies, which is evident from the proof we possess," he stated to the Observer.
The tablets, which are part of the Girsu Project—a joint effort between the British Museum and Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities—will be kept at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad for additional analysis.
Learn more about the Girsu Project here .
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