Penal labour, 3rd millennium BC

[Old Babylonian]. Old Babylonian cuneiform clay tablet: an inventory of drivers of plough oxen.

€ 8,500.00

Large cuneiform clay tablet, closely written on both sides, containing an inventory of labourers available for field work under the supervision of a foreman or warden. The list cites especially drivers of plough oxen, naming the foremen individually. Some of the labourers are listed as "sick", others as "prisoners".

A small repair in the lower half, otherwise very finely preserved. Includes full translation.

Provenance: Swiss private collection.