Clay Prism of Tiglath-pileser I of Assyria, with dedicatory inscription

This octagonal prism, discovered in the foundations of the temple of the gods Anu and Adad in Ashur, is another example of the variety of inscribed objects on which the commissioners of buildings left dedicatory inscriptions. Numerous insertions have been made to the customary text sections about the erection of specific buildings, relating the successful military undertakings of King Tiglath pileser I (1114–1076 BCE), who in the course of his campaigns first reached the Mediterranean, capturing much booty there, as he did afterwards in Anatolia and Armenia. The prism is not only a testimony to the expansion of the Assyrian kingdom but also an outstanding example of the developed intellectual culture of the period. The text is considered to be the oldest extant historical chronicle and thus marks the beginning of written history. The precision in the execution of the inscription illustrates furthermore the precocious development of the art of writing in Assyria.