Collection online

British Museum Society Tablet

• Object type

  • tablet

• Museum number

  140855

• Title (object)

  • British Museum Society Tablet

• Description

  Clay tablet; record of beer; impressed with five different types of numerical symbol.

• Culture/period

  • Late Uruk

• Date

  • 3100BC-3000BC (between)

• Materials

  • clay

• Technique

  • impressed

• Dimensions

  • Height: 9.4 centimetres
  • Width: 6.87 centimetres
  • Thickness: 2.3 centimetres

• Inscriptions

  • • Inscription Type

      inscription

    • Inscription Script

      cuneiform

    • Inscription Comment

      Record of beer

• Bibliography

  • MacGregor 2010 cat.no.15, pp.90-94
  • Saggs 1995a p. 47, fig. 25

• Location

  Not on display

• Exhibition history

  Exhibited:
  2017 28 Jun-08 Oct, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
  2017 1 Mar-31 May, National Museum of China, Beijing, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects' 2016-2017 08 Sep-29 Jan, National Museum of Australia, Canberra, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects' 2016 13 Feb-18 Jun, National Museum of Western Australia, Perth, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
  2015-2016 20 Sep-11 Jan, Kobe City Museum, Kobe, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
  2015 14 Jul–6 Sep, Kyushu National Museum, Dazaifu, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
  2015 18 Apr–28 Jun, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
  2014-2015 13 Dec-15 Mar, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
  2014 23 Apr-01 Aug, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects’ 2010-2011, London, BM/BBC, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects' 1990 15 May-29 Jul, Germany, Berlin, Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte, Frühe Schrift und Techiken der Wirtschaftsverwaltung im alten Vorderen Orient

• Acquisition name

  • Purchased through: Christie's
  • Previous owner/ex-collection: Prof Hans Erlenmeyer

• Acquisition date

  1989

• Acquisition notes

  Purchased through auction of the Erlenmeyer collection in London at Christie's (lot 46). This tablet is to be known as the "British Museum Society" tablet on account of a substantial donatrion being made towards its acquisition by the British Museum Society (later Friends).

• Department

  Middle East

• BM/Big number

  140855

• Registration number

  1989,0130.4