“Voices of Babylon: Cuneiform Tablets from the Lost Civilization” is the name of the newest exhibition that you can see in the coming months at the Burgas Archaeological Museum (21 Al. Bogoridi Street). The valuable exhibits have been provided by the Historical Museum – Kotel.
The clay tiles with cuneiform writing from the 6th century BC. were donated to the library-museum in Kotel by Petar Mateev, who is known as one of the greatest benefactors of the Renaissance city. The clay tablets are 5 in number, of different sizes, and important financial documents of the time are written on them.
The archives of the Babylonian Egibi family include about 1,700 clay tablets that document the financial activities of the family from 606 to 482 BC, when Babylon was part of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and later of Achaemenid Persia. The archive spans five generations and contains information on trade in dates, grain, real estate, slaves, as well as the granting of loans and the payment of taxes. The tablets detail the individuals and their kinship relationships. The earliest tablet is dated 547 BC, and the latest from 536 BC.
Cuneiform is the earliest known writing system in the world. It first appeared more than 3000 years BC. in Mesopotamia and, more precisely, in the lands of today’s southern Iraq. Symbols in the form of vertical, horizontal and oblique wedges were applied to freshly formed clay tiles, and the tiles were subsequently dried or fired. The instrument with which it was “written” was a reed or other material pen – it was later known as a stylus. The ancient scribes, due to the specificity of their occupation, were deeply respected and enjoyed high social prestige, as guardians of the wisdom and knowledge stored in the texts.
And here is the path of the cuneiform tiles from the ancient city of Nineveh to the Kotel museum.
In 1876, Petar Mateev, a Bulgarian from Kotel, participated in an archaeological expedition to the Middle East under the leadership of George Smith, a famous archaeologist whose work changed the ideas about the ancient culture of Babylon and Assyria.
George Smith (1840-1876) was born in London and became famous for reading The Epic of Gilgamesh, which confirmed the biblical accounts of the Flood. After the discoveries in the city of Nineveh, Smith led new expeditions to find missing parts of the text. In 1876, he came to Constantinople to obtain a permit for excavations, and there he met Petar Mateev.
Petar Mateev (1850-1943) has an interesting biography. He is one of the most famous erudite, patriotic Bulgarians. Public figure, journalist, contributor to many European and Bulgarian publications. He comes from an old wealthy Kotlen Revival family. He received his education in his native town, and later studied at the Protestant College of Malta and worked in the English post office in Constantinople. Mateev accepted Smith’s offer, but was warned by the British consul that as a Bulgarian he might encounter difficulties with the authorities, subsequently he changed his name to Peter Mathewson to present himself as an English subject.
After receiving the Sultan’s firman, Smith and Mateev set out on a journey in which they discovered Hittite inscriptions. Along the way, they explore cultural and social features of the region and local residents. When they reach Baghdad the situation gets complicated due to riots and they decide to turn back. On the way, Smith fell ill and died in the city of Aleppo. Mateev successfully returned to Constantinople and left behind the cuneiform tiles, which are very rare and are kept in the Kotlen museum. His travelogue and autobiography are valuable historical sources that document the importance of the Bulgarian contribution to world archaeology.
We invite all residents and guests of the city to touch the achievements of two men who, regardless of the differences in origins and cultures, leave a significant mark in the history of archaeology. The museum is open Monday through Saturday, with business hours from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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