Clay tablet (slave purchase contract)

This small rectangular clay tablet is a contract recording the purchase of a slave for 50 pieces of silver. Two individuals purchased this slave from the seller, who sealed the clay tablet when closing it. Aside from legal documents of this kind, relatively little is known about slavery in Mesopotamia. Slave ownership appears to have been less widespread there than in later civilisations. Nonetheless, references to slaves are found on clay tablets very early on, in the 4th millennium BC. At the beginning in any case, these were probably captives from the surrounding areas. But the cuneiform inscriptions also show that while slaves were regarded as property, they also possessed rights. They were allowed to own possessions, to do business, and even to marry free women.