June 18, 2025 Dataset Open Access

Kt 91/k 287 (X-Ray Tomography 3D data of an Enveloped Clay Tablet, Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara)

Michel, Cécile; Schroer, Christian; Olbrich, Stephan; Beckert, Andreas; Ehteram, Samaneh; Schropp, Andreas; Paetzold, Philipp; Bohn, Mathias; Zerbe, Katrin; Aksoy, Avni

Written Artefact Metadata

Object type: Enveloped clay tablet
Material: Clay
Writing: Cuneiform writing
Language: Old Assyrian
Nature of the text: Proceedings
Provenience: Kanesh (mod. Kültepe)
Period/Date: Old Assyrian (ca. 1920-1850 BCE)
Country of discovery: Türkiye
Dimensions: Height: 5.3 cm; Width: 5.7 cm; Depth: 2.2 cm
Museum/Collection: Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara, Türkiye
Excavation number: Kt 91/k 287
Publication number (envelope): KT 8, 104
 

Transliteration of the tablet inside the envelope

Ob.¹Pí-lá-ah-A-šùr ²a-na E-lá-ma ³iṣ-ba-at-ni-a-tí-ma ⁴um-ma Pí-lá-ah-A-šur-ma ⁵a-na E-lá-ma-ma ⁶a-na an-na^ki-kà ⁷ša ta-dí-na-ni ⁸a-ga-mì-il₅-kà 8 gín-/ta ⁹kù-babbar a-na A-lim^{ki 10}ú-ša-ak-ša-da-/kà lo.e.¹¹um-ma Pí-lá-ah-A-/šur-ma rev.¹²ú i-nu-mì a-na-ku ¹³a-na A-lim^ki a-lu-ku ¹⁴15 ma-na kù-babbar ¹⁵ta-da-nam-ma a-bé-/el ¹⁶um-ma E-lá-ma-ma ¹⁷a-da-na-kum igi Lá-qé-/ep ¹⁸Šu-bé-lim ú lugal-^dim ¹⁹táp-pá-ú-a ²⁰a-na a-wa-tim a-ni-a-/tim u.e.²¹<kà-ru-um> Kà-ni-iš ²²i-dí-ni-ma igi gír <ša A-šur> l.e.²³ṭup-pá-am ša ší-bu-tí-a ²⁴a-dí-in

Translation of the tablet in the envelope

Pilah-Aššur seized us against Elamma and Pilah-Aššur (said) to Elamma as follows:

“With respect to your tin that you gave me, I will do you a favor, I will supply you in the City (of Aššur) silver (at a rate of 1 shekel of silver) per 8 shekels (of tin).”

Pilah-Aššur (answered) as follows: “And when I go to the City (of Aššur) will you then give me 15 minas of silver for my free disposal?” 

Elamma (replied) thus: “I will give (it) to you.”

In the presence of Laqēp, Šu-Bēlum and Šarrum-Adad were my fellow (witnesses).

For these proceedings, the (Assyrian authorities) of Kaneš appointed me (as arbitrator) and I gave (this) tablet with my testimony before the dagger (of Aššur) in the Gate of the God.

Structure and data

00_Photos.zip:

Photos of the enveloped tablet from all sides.

• Kt91k287aLe.jpg

• Kt91k287aLoe.jpg

• Kt91k287aOb.jpg

• Kt91k287aRe.jpg

• Kt91k287aRev.jpg

• Kt91k287aUe.jpg

01_VolumeData.zip:

3D tomographic reconstruction volume data.

• 042_91k287_reconstruction_crop.nxs

02_Visualisations.zip:

Geometry files of the tablet and envelope (.ply) and internal format files (.exa).

• 042_91k287_2.exa

• 042_91k287_2_medianw_0.015_32_8_-0.22_5.exa

• 042_91k287_2_medianw_0.015_32_8_-0.22_5_32_0.5_2.exa

• 042_91k287_envelope.ply

• 042_91k287_tablet.ply

03_Scripts.zip:

Scripts to run the extraction and visualisation software Exavis42.

• 042_91k287_extract.sh

• 042_91k287_visualise.sh