I seem to recall from my very elemental study of archaeology (I am a History graduate) that most of the oldest cuneiform writings are found in Southern Mesopotamia. Can anyone narrow that down to cities or at least smaller geographic areas that one could visit in a reasonable length of time?
Thanks,
Hugh D. Mailly
At the present time it is inadvisable to visit Iraq, although some expeditions do work in the south. Cuneiform inscriptions and clay tablets have been found at many sites in that region. I suggest you consult Michael Roaf, Atlas of Mesopotamia.
Alan,
Yes, not a good time to be wandering around the Iraqui desert, with or without an automatic weapon...
Thanks for book reference; I had already searched it at the University library as well as other Atlas. Unfortunately, they all contain outdated information regarding what I'm looking for, due to so much destructive warfare and ISIS vandalism since those books were written.
HDM
You need to get your hands on the Iraq antiquity manifest that dates from 2003 thru 2007 from antiquities that were found in the bunkers. You'll have to go through the Iraq Parliament of Office for Iraq historic preservation.
Randy,
Now that's a useful bit of information...I did not know such a manifest exists. Thanks.
HDM
When we went into Iraq we found defense private contractors looting the sites so we shut them down but the damage had already been done, many had made there way back to the U.S. to private collectors within the organizations. Some of those items are still on U.S. soil. So what happens next is a political since we were not allowed the subjects they walk away. I can tell you though that there was many tablet. Contact the antiquities director of the Iraq museum. But you need to very careful on your word choices. The way we write and express our ourselves in conversation and asking for information is considered rude. So and informative letter with understanding concerning research would open the door. I gave a lecture on NAGPRA to the University of Illinois Urbano here in Texas and met a professor from Iraq who brought up the manifest in conversation.
good greeting
The National Museum, in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, with a clay figure, contains cuneiform inscriptions. As for the cities where the Sumerian civilization is located, its center is Dhi Qar.
I found the following publication presents everything one might want to know about the location of cuneiforms found in Iraq prior to the modern troubles period (pre-shock-and-awe, pre-looters, pre-Isis etc). The work was published 1993; so obviously more tablets were probably found in the last quarter century but I doubt if any new temples have come out of the sands since then..? I have to assume many have been destroyed or looted and exported out of Mesopotamia.
HDM 22jul17
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