Provenance study of cuneiform tablets housed in Sulaimaniyah Museum and geological survey along the Tigris River

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24401016
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Area studies
• Research Institution: Osaka Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Chikako 大阪学院大学, 国際学部, 准教授 (40290233)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): OGUCHI Kazumi 国士舘大学, イラク古代文化研究所, 教授 (90194521) ; UCHIDA Etsuo 早稲田大学, 理工学術院, 教授 (40185020) ; KATAYAMA Yoko 東京農業大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (90165415)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): ANMA Ryo 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 講師 (70311595) ; TUJI Akihiro 国立科学博物館, 植物研究部, 研究主幹 (40356267) ; YAMADA Shigeo 筑波大学, 人文社会科学研究科(系), 教授 (30323223) ; NAKANO Takanori 総合地球環境学研究所, 研究高度化支援センター, 教授 (20155782) ; YOKOO Yoriko 同志社大学, 理工学部, 助教 (00334045) ; KOIZUMI Tatsundo 国士舘大学, イラク古代文化研究所, 研究員 (80257237) ; SHIN Kicheol 総合地球環境学研究所, 研究高度化支援センター, 助教 (50569283)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 粘土板 / 胎土分析 / 産地同定 / 地質学調査 / 生物指標 / 国際研究者交流 / イラク / イギリス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Clay tablets were illegally excavated on a large scale at many archaeological sites in southern Iraq and smuggled out of the country in the aftermath of the Iraq War. The Iraqi-Kurdish authorities confiscated and saved many of these stolen tablets, which are now housed in the Sulaymaniyah (Slemani) Museum. Our project included chemical, physical and biological analyses of the material used for the tablets in order to provide data concerning their original provenance. Analysis of microfossils contained in the tablets revealed that the clay was sourced not only from river sediments but also from clay pits. Sediment samples taken from the ancient river bed were also analysed for comparison with the tablet clay.

Free Research Field

アッシリア学・文明環境史