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Image Credit: Troels Pank Arbøll
Ancient Cuneiform Tablets Reveal Magic and Kings
A long-overlooked collection of ancient clay tablets has been brought to light through a new research project, revealing a rich glimpse into life in the ancient Middle East. Housed for more than a century at the National Museum of Denmark, the tablets—some over 4,000 years old—have now been fully studied, identified, and digitised for the first time.
Written in cuneiform script, one of the earliest writing systems, the tablets originate from early civilisations in present-day Iraq and Syria. The texts reflect the emergence of complex urban societies, where writing was used to manage administration, communication, and knowledge.
The newly analysed collection contains a wide range of material, including letters, administrative records, medical treatments, and magical incantations. Among the most notable discoveries are texts from the ancient Syrian city of Hama, dating to around 720 BC, when the city was destroyed by Assyrian forces. These tablets, likely once part of a temple library, include rare writings on healing practices and ritual magic.
One particularly significant text describes an anti-witchcraft ritual intended to protect rulers from misfortune, including threats to political stability. The ritual involved burning figurines while reciting formal incantations, reflecting the close relationship between magic and royal authority in the Assyrian world.
The collection also includes a copy of a well-known regnal list, a document that records both legendary and historical kings. This example, believed to be a school text, includes rulers from the late third millennium BC and is among the rare sources that reference figures such as Gilgamesh, suggesting the persistence of early royal traditions in written memory.
Other tablets, originating from excavations in northern Iraq, preserve correspondence between local leaders and Assyrian rulers, alongside numerous administrative texts. These records illustrate the development of early bureaucratic systems, with detailed accounts of goods, personnel, and daily transactions.
Among these practical documents is a strikingly familiar item: a clay tablet recording a transaction for beer—offering a rare and tangible link to everyday life more than four millennia ago.
The project, titled Hidden Treasures: The National Museum’s Cuneiform Collection, highlights the importance of revisiting museum collections, where significant historical insights may still remain hidden.
Published on: 15-04-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: University of Copenhagen