History of Text Technologies

The Cuneiform Tablets Collection consists of twenty-five clay tablets with Sumerian text in cuneiform script. The contents of the tablets are primarily related to agriculture and commerce; they are essentially temple records and business documents dating from over 4000 years ago. They were written during the Third Dynasty of Ur, the Old Babylonian period, the reign of Sîn-kasid, and the Neo-Babylonian period. Known geographical sources include Umma, Puzris-Dagan, Girsu, and Uruk. The tablets range in size from one to two square inches, and are square, rounded and cone shaped.

The Greek and Latin Ostraka collection consists of thirty-two clay pottery fragments with text in Greek and Latin documenting the activities of a Roman Army unit stationed near Edfu, Egypt circa 150 CE. Ostraka (singular ostracon) are potsherds that have writing scratched or written on them.