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cylinder
Object Type
cylinder
Museum number
91026
Title
Object:
The Rassam Cylinder
Series:
Library of Ashurbanipal
Description
Clay cylinder: ten-sided cylinder inscribed in cuneiform with the annals of Ashurbanipal. It represents the most complete record of Ashurbanipal’s annals, and describes nine campaigns against various enemies, his rebuilding of the 'bīt ridûti’ of Sennache
Authority
Ruler:
Ashurbanipal
Cultures/periods
Neo-Assyrian
Production date
643BC
Excavator/field collector
Excavated by:
Hormuzd Rassam
(excavated in 1854)
Findspot
Excavated/Findspot:
North Palace (Nineveh)
, Room 1
Materials
fired clay
Dimensions
Diameter:
20.32 centimetres
Height:
48.89 centimetres
Width:
6.35 centimetres
(average column)
$Inscriptions
Inscription subject
royal
Curator's comments
Found close to the so-called 'Cylinder A' (or Cylinder B).
Bibliographic references
Barnett 1976 / Sculptures from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (668-627 B.C)
(p.35, pl.I)
Bezold 1896a / Catalogue of the cuneiform tablets in the Kouyunjik Collection of the British Museum
Budge 1880a / The History of Esarhaddon (Son of Sennacherib) King of Assyria, B.C. 681-668
(pp. ix-x)
Guide 1922 / Guide to the Babylonian and Assyrian Antiquities in the British Museum
(pp.228-9, pl.xlix)
Luckenbill 1927b / Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia
(§§ 793-840)
Rassam H 1897a / Asshur and the Land of Nimrod
(p.33, pl. opp. p.218)
Streck M 1916a / Assurbanipal und die letzten assyrischen Könige bis zum Untergange Niniveh’s I-III
(vol.1, p.xix; vol.2, pp.1-91)
CDLI / Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative
(P421807)
(http://cdli.ucla.edu/P421807)
Location
On display
(G1/wp71/sh6)
Exhibition history
Exhibited: 2018-2019 8 Nov-24 Feb, London, BM, I am Ashurbanipal, king of the world, king of Assyria Enlightenment gallery, from Nov 2003. G89/ASSB/3, until spring 2002 1999, London, BM, 'Cracking Codes'
Associated names
Named in inscription:
Ashurbanipal
Named in inscription:
Sennacherib
Acquisition date
1878
Department
Middle East
BM/Big number
91026
Registration number
Rm.1
Additional IDs
Miscellaneous number:
12168
Joined objects
Joined Tablet Group:
G14076
(2 objects)
Conservation
Treatment
: 8/8/18