Neo- Assyrian Cuneiform Wooden Writing-boards( GIŠlē’u)

Aljuboori, Ali Yaseen

doi:10.33899/athar.1999.164585

	Neo- Assyrian Cuneiform Wooden Writing-boards( GIŠlē’u)
Athar al-rafedain
Article 1, Volume 4, Issue 1, 2019, Pages 9-54 PDF (3.28 M)
DOI: 10.33899/athar.1999.164585
Author
Ali Yaseen Aljuboori^*
College of Archaeology, University of Mosul
Abstract
Its known that cuneiform texts written on tablets made of mud, They clean it and soak it in water thereafter they cut it according it to size and shape of the required texts. However, they used stone and marble too. But rarely used gold or silver. Mesopotamian‘s scribe invented method of writing on wooden board from Ur.III period on. By the middle of the 50teenth of last century the British archaeologist at Nimrud discovered 16 ivory boards and similar made of wood in well in the northern palace of Ashurnasirpal II. They are rectangular approx. 30x15cm. and there are lines engraved on the surface. The remaining of the wax told us how they prepare it and used. They add date syrup or honey in order to fix the wax which mixed with special mud called K/Geel ( in Iraqi‘s dialectic ṭeen – Khawa) on the board surface. Then they can write cuneiform texts or draw image or plan easily etc,,. These wooden writing board was the first invented book since they can join up to 6 board together using hinger . they also could use both side of the word. This help them to write long texts . Ivory board , probably made for the usage of the king or palace officials , but the wooden writing board used in all aspect of scientific and religious activities. Ashurbanipal library acquired hundreds of them but unfortunately no one discovered yet. The last attestation in Sippar library from the Now and late Babylonian periods.

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