Unveiling Ancient Sumerian Scents
Discover the unique plate of the Third Dynasty of Ur - one of the ancient perfume-related texts in the world.
One of the ancient perfume related texts in the world(front side) (-2064)Art Palace of Georgia - Museum of Cultural History
Ancient Perfume Text
This clay plate, discovered in 1976, features one of the oldest perfume-related texts in the world. Its existence was first documented in the magazine "Eastern History News" in Moscow.
One of the ancient perfume related texts in the world(back side) (-2064/-2056)Art Palace of Georgia - Museum of Cultural History
The plate belonged to the Georgian collector Levan Mujiri and it was bought by Levan's father in St. Petersburg in the 10s of the 20th century. In 2022, the item became part of the museum collection of Art Palace of Georgia with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Georgia.
The plate is made of light brown clay. It was burnt, which is why the text was almost undamaged until 1974, later Levan Mujiri's grandsons broke it while playing.
The lines 12, 13, and 26, 27 of the text are damaged. Fortunately, a graphical representation of the full text has survived.
The dimensions of the plate are as follows: 107X48X26 millimeters. The plate comes from Umi. It is dated to the fourth year of the reign of King Amar - Suen (2064 - 2056 BC). The text consists of 42 lines.
The writing style is typical for the Third Dynasty of Ur. The second half of lines 26-28 is filled with microscopically sized marks performed with great precision.
One of the ancient perfume related texts in the world(front side, graphic document) (-2064/-2056)Art Palace of Georgia - Museum of Cultural History
The document is an income report which tells about the purchase of aromatic substances by the state warehouse from various persons, we should think, from merchants.
One of the ancient perfume related texts in the world(back side, graphic document) (-2064/-2056)Art Palace of Georgia - Museum of Cultural History
This text lists ingredients for ancient Sumerian perfumes, such as rose, cedar, and "good essence." It highlights the use of these fragrances for royal ceremonies, like applying pine seeds to the king's occiput.
One of the ancient perfume related texts in the world(front side) (-2064)Art Palace of Georgia - Museum of Cultural History
Thus, one of the most ancient texts in the world, related to perfumery, is preserved in the Art Palace of Georgia.
George Kalandia
Irakli Zambakhidze
Nini Samkharadze
Royal Asiatic Society of Georgia
Special thanks to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth of Georgia and Minister Thea Tsulukiani
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