A 4,000-year old tale of trade and contraband I Curator's Corner S3 Ep9

Curator Mathilde Touillon-Ricci shares her research into the letters of Old Assyrian traders and the sometimes surprising ways in which they get around paying taxes.
If you'd like to learn to read cuneiform yourself, the one and only Irving Finkel has written a book to help you get started: bit.ly/3uzh9Vz
The British Museum takes no responsibility for any attempted, underwear-related, tax avoidance inspired or informed by either this video or the learning of cuneiform via Irving's book.
#CuratorsCorner #taxevasion

[@britishmuseum]

If you'd like to learn to read cuneiform yourself, the one and only Irving Finkel has written a book to help you get started: bit.ly/3uCDnpC The British Museum takes no responsibility for any attempted, underwear-related, tax avoidance inspired or informed by either this video or the learning of cuneiform via Irving's book.

[@erepsekahs]

I could swear that in my brief glance at this cuneiform I deciphered the nick-name, 'Naughty-Knickers.' In fact I am reliably informed that the expression, 'nick-name' derives from that particular man, the said, 'Naughty-Nickers.'

[@robertclarke71]

I laughed so hard, but it should have been obvious. 5 minutes after we invented tax, we invented tax avoidance.

[@GyprockGypsy]

Please, give me your money and I PROMISE to spend it on schools, roads, and drug-Imeandoctors.

[@SDeww]

@@GyprockGypsy and in really corrupt contries they pocket it all, you can see by a countries roads, public transport, and infrastructure if its wealthy and corruption is low, in countries with these things top notch, are rich!.

[@savantianprince]

Timeless classic. We are doing this today

[@helenamcginty4920]

Have you also seen the Stand up Maths video about the arithmetic mistake on one tablet.?

[@skthechef8075]

LOL

[@systlin2596]

"Is that a bag of tin in your underwear, or are you just happy to see me?" -Some tax official, 4,000 years ago.

[@slick4401]

Brilliant!

[@motorcop505]

😂

[@BuriedFlame]

"No. Why?" "Because I just kicked you in the groceries and you didn't flinch." "That doesn't prove anything!"

[@lokarthaaeris6506]

Dude's got balls of tin to take the narrow track.

[@danomalley2473]

Sporting Tin.

[@gideonjones8088]

"Two things are certain in this world: death and taxes." Assyrian traders: Hold my underwear.

[@reacguru]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJDWh4p5hdyjepY

[@51WCDodge]

Belt Maker required: Must be able to produce reinforced products.

[@frjosemaria]

WINNER!

[@VoxNerdula]

ASSyrian

[@Jj12915]

@@VoxNerdula 🤣

[@esbensloth]

Imagine getting your email hacked by a museum curator 4000 years in the future.

[@HisameArtwork]

it will probably happen, so be sure not to have typos just in case you become space famous.

[@idriscam]

Nope. We wont be here that long. Other than gold disks or stone tablets after approx 100 years there will be no records of us.

[@John-tg5vn]

Ozego fuk

[@jerkfudgewater147]

It would just be a bunch of penis ads... email is nothing but penis ads

[@augustvalek]

I hope they like the memes I share

[@darthslackus499]

"Ow, why did you throw rock at me?" "Sorry, that is my love poem, dearest love."

[@zeroqp]

Incredible to think that those very letters were in the hands of a young man from a distant land, and a more distant time, went to his father, and are now in the hands of a woman in the British museum, telling viewers from all over the globe part of the story of that family. Those people were a few average persons, forgotten to history for thousands of years, until their names were spoken once more. It's incredible beyond words.

[@nomfundomdluli1544]

OMG she is precious 🤣🤣🤣 her face when she finished the underwear smugglers, great naration👏👏👏♥️ Humans haven't changed in 4000 years🤣

[@Erik-ko6lh]

The old tin in the underwear trick.

[@marconatrix]

You won't believe this but in Welsh 'tin' means 'arse' :-)

[@zenengineer9277]

Middle Bronze Age. Tin made the world go round since the 90% copper portion was more prevalent. Western Turkey and Afghanistan were feeding tin into Mesopotamia after local deposits were exhausted (at least no body cavity searches).

[@John-tg5vn]

Got em good

[@khasab6124]

clink clank anything to declare?

[@nacoran]

You need brass balls to pull that off. Or rather tin balls.

[@Ealsante]

I swear, you could make a comic-dramatic heist movie set in Assyrian times about this family of smugglers.

[@DrumToTheBassWoop]

Have you seen plebs ?

[@marijeangalloway1560]

Call it "Cats In Some Hot Tin Underwear" (apologies to Tennessee Williams)

[@princevesperal]

We all thought "Han Solo" was such a cool name for a smuggler, until we heard of "Buzazu"!

[@martabachynsky8545]

It sounds like something a Star Wars character would be named.

[@krazykyle4]

And don't forget about 'Ahaha'!

[@KatzenjammerKid61]

Fascinating. I confess I was hoping the kid at scribe school was writing the parents to send money.

[@therealb888]

Lol

[@emlmm88]

You just _know_ that there are tens, possibly hundreds of cuneiform tablets somewhere out there with that exact description.

[@marrvyn]

I once read about some ancient Egyptian papyrus that basically went this way: dear dad, my studies are progressing fine, but it is expensive, please send more money ;)

[@danielwhitehead5546]

The letter where the smuggler calls off the smuggling operation but then still details how it would be done is very interesting to me. I wonder if it is written that way to maintain plausible deniability if the orders were uncovered by the authorities. Would an ancient Assyrian be able to escape punishment for smuggling if he said "Oh no, I didn't tell them to smuggle anything. The first line of the letter is calling the whole thing off!"

[@MustNotContainSpaces]

"Okay guys, we are not going to smuggle *wink**wink*, but if we were to smuggle, which we won't *wink* *wink*, thisi show we would do it..."

[@censusgary]

It’s sort of like if I told a friend, “Whatever you do, DON’T go to the corner of 8th and Pecan Street, give this envelope to the man there in the blue and white jacket, and get a small parcel from him. Avoid that, by all means.”

[@Dadecorban]

You may have missed an element of this. Although she says the message "calls off the smuggling but details how it would be done" as she reads the message the content is effectively "if you can take the smuggling route do it, and here's how, and if not, take the regular route and smuggle in your underwear" which is a perfectly reasonable plan with a fallback course.There is no ulterior motive for plausible deniability needed if you ignore her first statement and simply take the message for the content she reads. She may have just mispoke. Additionally I have little doubt that possession of instructions for smuggling was probably tantamount to smuggling and was probably legally proscribed so a "wink wink don't do this" probably would not have helped someone much. My guess is that there is a dual purpose in the brevity and size of these tablets in the sense that the real countermeasure here is that those small tablets can be thrown away or keistered easily. Additionally I don't believe the Hittites or Neo-Hittites primarily used cuneiform (though obviously they would have dealt with it to some extent via trade) so it would be much less likely that some soldier or low level tax man would assume the tablet described illegal activities if there were no other illegal actions taken place; it's likely that if they suspected something they would have had to bring in or go to someone that could read cuneiform and ask them what it said (most people were illiterate of their own written languages, let alone foreign ones). My layman guesses. The more things change the more they stay the same.

[@FloatingOer]

@Thornback wow, you sure know how to kill a good explanation. If you ever get invited to a party don't do what you just did. There are plenty of threads here to besserwisser on.

[@mikaelgaiason688]

@Thornback Nah, it must be the CIA. Or lizard aliens. ;)

[@hscollier]

Fascinating story told from ‘dry, old tablets’. The curator’s enthusiasm infuses us with her keen interest in people and cultures long dead. Thank you.

[@SaBoTeUr2001]

I want to know now what Assyrians wore as underwear, and how much tin would fit there to make the trip worth it! :-D

[@damianeadie510]

It is interesting how the brevity of these tablets is like text messages or emails - work related messages are usually quite focussed. I've been loving the British Museum videos over the last couple of days. Please keep up this excellent work because we can't all come to the museum and few of us would learn so much detail as we meander around. A few days ago if you'd asked me if I'd like to go see some Cuneiform tablets I would have laughed & declined - now I am really far more likely now to come and see this stuff in person. :-)

[@lemeres2478]

Typying with your thumbs, attempting to chisel in each letter. it is all a hassle. Who has time for it? i am pretty sure that egyptians went for hieroglyphics just so they can save times and make the letters double as emojis.

[@virtualcircuit]

Before the 16th Century when the first postal systems were established for military and royalty you typically had to employ a messenger. One of the things the messenger's job was to convey emotion and greetings alongside a typically brief letter as well as any secret intelligence. It wasn't until the 17th-18th Century when postal systems were officially established for common people that people started writing formal greetings. With these letters anything to do with Money and quantities wasn't trusted to word of mouth, but i'm sure the typical "how is business going!" was conveyed via the couriers.

[@almafuertegmailcom]

I'd say more like telegrams. Unlike sms or emails, telegrams where (like this stones), expensive, and required some work in order to be delivered. They were a limited commodity, and brevity was essential.

[@NationstateOfficial]

5:21 they named their fifth kid “Ahaha” and there is no tablet for him? Poor kid. Hope he grew up to become “The Great Smuggler Ahaha”

[@wllm4785]

He started a band; they sang that song "Take on Me".

[@allglorytogod12]

I can hear his mother when he is young and trying to amuse her only for her to say "Ahaha, that is not funny"

[@SenhoritaF.]

The biggest hit from his band had a play about a girl that gets transported into a clay tablet :v

[@ianpershing1200]

you dont hear about great smugglers, only the bad ones

[@davidduma7615]

@@ianpershing1200 "if you're a smuggler, and you're famous, you're doing it wrong " - Ser Davos Seaworth

[@TravelsTTG]

How can 98 people dislike this! This is amazing and she is great!

[@stockholm1752]

Smugglers.

[@BassGoThump]

Fat thumbs hitting the wrong button probably

[@eomereadig2611]

@@BassGoThump The tax officials disliked here comments

[@valken666]

Perhaps because this woman is speaking and spitting over very delicate clay tablets?

[@Milamberinx]

@@valken666 the clay tablets are remarkably durable. These have most likely survived this long because they were used as building material.

[@motorcop505]

Curator's Corner is a terrific production from the British Museum, and this was an excellent episode. It's things like this that just show why the British Museum is world renowned as one of the world's finest institutions. It and the British Library are cornerstones of western civilization. Love from the USA. I was very privileged to use the library as a graduate student. Brava!

[@praveenb9048]

05:35 A tablet with a Curved Edge Display!

[@slowpokebr549]

those clay tablets will still be around when my cell phone is dust.

[@SaneAsylum]

correction: "When my cell phone is plastic micro beads."

[@cholulahotsauce6166]

Get a Nokia

[@michaelhull1813]

Regardless, the contents are on a server. Gotcha!!

[@theespatier4456]

slowpokebr549 In the year three thousand, only our 100,000 subscriber plates will be left.

[@Mishn0]

And your cell phone can hold the data from every clay tablet ever written throughout all of ancient history and still have room left over for a bunch of cat videos.

[@axledornman9583]

I wish she would do more videos with different tablets and to hear her adorable accent 😊

[@b5904]

And watching her incredible hair. But so knowledgeable and great presenter.

[@tristanpatterson3843]

Honestly, what the hell accent is that? I'm confused. Is she Dutch?

[@davidconnell1959]

I looked her up precisely because of her accent. Could not find a bio to make it clear. I am guessing Belgian - It’s kind of a Dutch accent with odd overlay of French and clearly a long time in Britain. Flemish?

[@RelivingHistory1]

@@davidconnell1959 i am french. 100% she is french, she has just been around other british museum curators for a long time, and has developed quite a strong posh english pronunciation whilst retaining her french accent on other words.

[@iamthe12th]

It is great how excited you are to get to know this family from 4,000 years ago! :)

[@flamencoprof]

Some can joke about this, as prev comments, but if it weren't for scholars like Mathilde we would just look at these objects as old bits of clay with funny markings on them. As it is, you can see that a lot could be told in a thousand years hence from the texts you sent last week. I am in great admiration of the knowledge accumulated through the ages by the tradition of scholarship independant of the passing ideologies of various regimes.

[@mikaelgaiason688]

I honestly thought it was some ancient hash for a split second at the beginning before I saw the writing. So I just shudder to think of somebody finding it and trying to break a piece off to smoke it.

[@joshuarosen6242]

You are absolutely right. In a world that appears to be getting ever more stupid (perhaps I'm just getting old), it is heartening that intelligent, curious and thoughtful people like Mathilde are still expanding the sum of human knowledge.

[@MaRaX93]

There's no scholarship independent of ideology

[@flamencoprof]

@@MaRaX93 OK, so I'm a Scientific Idealist; I'd like to think there was. But I agree, although only partially. Taken at face value, your statement invalidates ALL scholarship, and I still think it has at least some value.

[@MaRaX93]

@@flamencoprof Being ideologically influenced doesn't invalidate science. You simply can't close your eyes and look at it without said context

[@ingeborg-anne]

In their underwear! Righty-ho! It's so excellent that we have sources to such detailed parts of life 4000 years ago. Thanks as always, British Museum! These videos are very much appreciated.

[@davidjacobs8558]

probably originally meant loincoth and not underwear.

[@8460437]

Four thousand years ago you had Customs duties, Export/Import fees, Toll roads, and probably some Baksheesh for good measure. Looks like bureaucracy is NOT a modern practice. The only thing separating us from people four thousand years ago is technology. Everything else is/was the same.

[@krisinsaigon]

fascinating eh?

[@Bacopa68]

Yeah, when they deciphered Linear B they thought they were gonna read the real history behind the Trojan War. Instead it was "Theon owes four female calves as compensation for unpaid debt from delivery of last season's olive oil."

[@safebans1369]

So the only things that have ever existed in the history of civilisation and society are: taxes and technology? Therefore because technology has changed and weve had taxes for a very long time every other element of human existence can be disregarded as having an impact on the changing nature of said existence? This is hyperbole of the highest order my friend! *guffaws*

[@davidjacobs8558]

technology has changed, human nature has not.

[@M.M.83-U]

Well... we are the same.

[@hidinginsight1879]

Such a delight to see a young person with so much knowledge and a dash of delight in the quirks of history! Well done!!

[@JillShaw]

The part about that family really touched my heart. I imagined someone 4,000 years from now reading something that my granddaughter had written and wondering about her.

[@DK640OBrianYT]

Love these uploads. It's just great to see the millennia old cuneiform clay tablets. It has been a jawdropping eyeopener to learn about the Bronze Age Civilizations. Not only the rise and fall of them which has been a thrilling ride, but also the many things and human traits that still are present today. This specific upload is just filled with warmth and heart. Love it to bits and pieces. Makes me wish to have chosen one of the past-oriented lines at university and devoted my life uncovering more specifics for the benefit of mankind. I have to settle with watching and reading a broad field of this matter, digging in to various subjects. It may not be the best trade-off, but then again, if I were to list each and every thing I've watched and learned over the years, it'll be so long it probably would be boring, even though it has been an immense joy every time. And still, I'm in awe and debt to all those who did and are doing the work for us out here, who'd rather watch a 2 hour lecture than watch some lame non-relevant modern TV-series. I'm getting old and grumpy and I love it. Yeeeh-hahh

[@theespatier4456]

Me: KZbin algorithm: here’s how Assyrian traders avoided tax four thousand years ago.

[@lemeres2478]

British woman judging your email formatting 4000 yrs later.

[@dilipsamarasinghe778]

Amazing how early on smuggling, taxes and tax avoudance have appeared in human history. Charming curator too.

[@thatswhatshesaid.literally737]

🤔 *How curious it is to have so many centuries between us, and yet so many similarities abound... A son writing a letter to his father about school; without a date one would think you were speaking of a current event. Lovely!*

[@quorthonsinferno5119]

Human being acting like human beings, so bizzare. And they say the Sumerians started our FIRST civilization. It's hilarious.

[@shable1436]

Yes hiding your money in your underwear is the same as lying on your tax forms today lol. Things change ppl do not

[@emlmm88]

I mean, it's not really _that_ long when you think about it. It takes only about 60 or so human lives, lined up back to back in time, to get you to Akkad.

[@BuckYama]

ah that sounds like good ol' Buzazu, up to his old get rich quick schemes.

[@jerkfudgewater147]

She said “Smuggles” which are extra snuggly muggles.

[@shable1436]

Smugglies sound like miniature smugglers that could be very ugly and nasty after midnight, never get them wet either.

[@lemeres2478]

Well, she does have a british accent, so i am forced to assume she went to hogwarts.

[@aiferapple1246]

@@lemeres2478 LOL - That's not a British accent. Possibly French judging by the name.

[@phantasmal89]

No those are called ghrelin

[@LumenP1023]

@uncletigger She sounds like she learned all her english from an audio dictionary

[@molagsballs]

I know by “wild beasts” you probably mean lions and bears but I immediately imagined trolls and dragons

[@AlanMedina314]

When you hear the stories from people in our distant past you realise that human beings are really the same, regardless of place or time. Thank you for sharing this British Museum.

[@TheSeanoops]

That sounds like a very intimate experience, reading the letters of this family. Getting a little glimpse into their dynamic and their feelings; feelings that aren’t dissimilar from those people have today. It’s incredibly humanizing and beautiful, I’m jealous.

[@mixolydian2010]

Lovely lady and fascinating subject. All the best and thanks.

[@lukethomas658]

I love the esoteric passions of the people who speak in your videos - I'd love to see some of the talk about how they found their interests.

[@recklessroges]

I enjoyed how you delight in the real lives of those people from long ago. It seems almost like a private soap-opera, and yet their story was literally set in stone thousands of years ago and has just been waiting for you to read it.

[@blackbird5634]

1990 Shintaro Katsu, the Japanese actor who played Zatoichi in many films was caught smuggling Weed and Cocaine in his underwear at Honolulu Airport, when questioned about this afterwards, he said with certainty: "That's the last time i put on underwear." Smuggling today has NOT evolved one bit since the days of the old Silk Road.

[@harrietfishlow685]

will crow long before the Silk Road. Possibly 2,000 years before

[@Lonestar512]

And some of the more valuable and sought after "Spices" that were regularly traded and used that aren't talked about were things like Opium and even Cannabis

[@billysanpidro]

I just read a news about a Dutch poacher in an airport in Cuba who was caught smuggling SIXTY SIX hummingbirds in his undies. Indeed.

[@boundr2107]

will crow , Regarding whether smuggling has evolved, I thought of modern day “mules” swallowing condoms (or similar) filled with drugs. Also the use of body cavities. At a pure guess, I’m thinking those have come about in the last 1 to several centuries. I wonder if much has been published on the history of smuggling. It can be remarkable how innovative the criminal element can be. Yeah, human nature does not evolve much, but how it shows itself through technology & culture can be very interesting.

[@cuscof2]

@@boundr2107 They used to swallow gems before disembarking at ports to evade taxes and thieves. Not that different.

[@CCRob720]

i like learning about ancient business practices and how they bridged the vast amount of land in order to trade their wares. Thanks.

[@erepsekahs]

As usual from the British Museum....Absolutely well put together and informative. This stuff is so important and interesting. Please never stop doing it. Wonderful. Thank you.

[@angelafoxmusic7265]

She has a very charming accent. It's wonderful to see/hear someone who so loves her fascinating work.

[@zerksari]

Can't beat passion. Yes she's low key, but it shines through. Right person at the right place.

[@ForViewingOnly]

Wonderful video, thanks, and I'm glad I found this channel! I last visited the British Museum 18 years ago. I'll never forget the experience. I was actually very ill and underweight at the time, and I spent the entire day there, utterly engrossed, and I completely forgot that I was sick. I think there are very few times that I've felt that alive and present in my life. It's a magical place. Thanks British Museum for such a powerful experience, and I hope to come and visit you again soon.

[@steveqhanson6835]

Very cool. Mathilde's joy in her work come across.

[@calilovett2063]

Ahaha sounds like a cheerful guy, for sure

[@bredmond812]

Hahah! I see what you did there.

[@stefanscicluna2799]

AHahahaha lololol

[@wingsabre]

I loved how she tried holding her inner giggle while discussing smuggling through underwear. Then she just cracked up at the the end of that. lol

[@baghdade]

The name of the Ashurian Traders was " Bazazo" this name in arabic " a Semitic language like Ashurian" means " The seller of clothes and fabrics"

[@Ou8y2k2]

Now that you mention it, it could have been the root of the Arabic "Bazaar".

[@varana]

_Bazaar_ is Persian, though, so not from a semitic language.

[@baghdade]

no im not talking about Bazar! im talking about the name Bazazo in Iraqi arabic its like بزاز = Bazaz " The seller of clothes and fabrics"

[@Ou8y2k2]

Okay, so not related.

[@varana]

Aws AlMukhtar: Is there an equivalent in classical Arabic, or is that a specifically Iraqi word?

[@erikhoffa966]

Absolutely marvelous to hear those little stories about daily life 4000t years ago. Nicely presented. 👍

[@EleanorPeterson]

It's extraordinary to think that the ancient equivalent of texts, tweets and e-mails should have survived because they were sent in 'lossless' ceramic/ clay form. They're as crisp and clear as the day they were made. Remarkable. I wonder if any of today's digital-electronic storage media will still be readable in the year 6021. Mathilde's wonderful clay tablets will be; presumably something much more durable than discs, cards and hard-drives will be in use by the rest of us before then. Oh no, wait. Some things - like a certain man's tweets - are probably best forgotten. ;-)

[@agerven]

I've been in the British Museum for the first time last summer. Found it very fascinating, but now find it scratches only the surface of everything behind it. Also love the enthusiasm of the curators on this site, which I only recently discovered and of course have subscribed to. Wonderful, and I'll certainly use this site as a guide and inspiration for my next visit. Thank you!

[@joshuarosen6242]

I am glad you enjoyed it. The whole collection is absolutely huge and despite the fact that The British Museum is a large building, they couldn't possibly display any more than a small proportion of it. It is an amazing place with a fascinating, world-class collection.

[@carakintz3536]

Are all of the tablets being scanned? Has an application been invented yet to read the tablets? If not, it might be a helpful addition. Could even identify individuals handwriting.

[@JP-ic2ze]

Just love her clear passion on the subject. Great presentation, wish it had been longer.

[@damonwilliam5282]

Never seen anything to do with old Assyrian trading before and this was a great insight into the past. presented in an interesting way and with a passion that makes it easy and relaxing to watch. Now it's 3 years later and it would be great to get more updates on this or similar videos :D thank you all involved

[@r.blakehole932]

It is astonishing how small those tablets were! Since these were impressed into wet clay, how earth did they avoid marring the wet clay impressions until they dried enough to handle? It seems like such tiny writing could not survive common handling on a long journey from say Assyria to Anatolia unless baked?????

[@krisinsaigon]

they did bake them

[@ingmar1107]

I think the clay was fairly dry when the forms were presssed in. I also thought they only baked/fired the really important ones while most of them were simply reused after wetting and smoothing out the clay again. (faint memory from another video some years back)

[@lemeres2478]

The tablets look like they all have roughly similar sizes and shapes. i'd assume there is some kind of tool, such as a box or a frame, that held the clay.

[@YouBazinga]

This was amazing. We want more Mathilde talking about Assyrians!

[@igorvoloshin3406]

Bazinga, tell us the truth: are you a grand-...-grandson of Bazazu? 🧐 PS: Mathilde is awesome 😻

[@YouBazinga]

​@@igorvoloshin3406 Lol! I'm trying to find out. I've already sent my own clay tablets for analysis and comparison :) We are all one huge family. We are all related. Hello, my distant brother!

[@firstlast1357]

It’s amazing that till today there are people who didn’t develop their own writing.

[@martinstrength8532]

It's fascinating thinking about the connection we have with people of 4,000 years ago and being able to get that insight through their personal communication!

[@ClariceAust]

I finally visited London from Australia when I turned 58, in 2014, primarily to visit the British Museum, as well as the art galleries. Of course, it was thrilling. What amazing studies are carried out within its precincts! I thoroughly enjoyed this video. What an industrious family. Most amusing was the tax evasion; some things don't seem to change. I've subscribed!

[@devttyUSB0]

Great video, Mathilde! Thank you! Interesting stuff as always.

[@philgreen1944]

History has never been so beautiful. Very interesting, thank you.

[@moisttoad2147]

This is such an amazing look into the past. I love all of the videos on this channel.

[@diegoecheagaray2124]

Absolutely fantastic! It's like having a conversation over tea with a family who lived 4,000 years ago! Wonderful!

[@diGritz1]

Boarder: What Is the Purpose of Your Trip? How Long Do You Intend to Stay? Do You Have Anything to Declare? Has your underwear left your site or been in someone else's hands since you put them on?

[@bradley3158]

Two weeks

[@ZiralSpiral]

loved this :)

[@mojumi]

How absolutely charming. Thank you!

[@merindymorgenson3184]

Your presentation is delightful! Thank you for bringing these people to life for us!

[@RealSalica]

This is so interesting .

[@censusgary]

I’m always surprised to see how small these cuneiform tablets are, and how small the writing on them usually is. They seem so much larger when I read descriptions and see pictures of them in books. It’s also interesting how widespread literacy seems to have been in the ancient Fertile Crescent. Pretty ordinary people were writing letters and bills of sale and whatnot, and expecting the recipients to be able to read them. Also, people in different city-states wrote in different languages in cuneiform.

[@valkeakirahvi]

True, I've copied some cuneiform on clay, and it's very hard to make it that small, so they really had to be talented writers! Did yiu notice when she told that the letters usually start with "x to y, read..." The letters were usually meant to be read to the receiver who wouldn't necessarily be able to read. As far as I know the Assyrians had more wide spread literacy because the signs had simplified a lot and you had to learn fewer signs. Unfortunately it also means all the signs look the same which makes Assyrian writing totally unreadable in my opinion :D

[@lemeres2478]

They might hire someone to do it for them. Like how your boss always bothers the intern because he can't figure out how to do a spread sheet. Same deal- a skill that needs some practice but it simplifies a lot, and then everyone else bothers you when you show even the barest competence because they are too lazy to figure it out.

[@Kurlach]

This is fascinating. And I could listen to Mathilde’s voice all day long 😄

[@steviemacky4310]

Thank you for these brief insights and view of ancient history through your collections.

[@Jhonmz]

I wonder if she’s a professor. She has that comforting mentor voice

[@lvdovicvs]

It's amazing any single object could last four thousand years. How on earth have this family's group of letters managed to be kept together? It seems nearly impossible.

[@cretancaptainidomeneus534]

It differs per group of tablets, and a lot of luck is required: usually the tablets are preserved when they are burned by accident (in a house or city fire), or when they are trown away and get preserved beneath the earth. As long as they don't break too much or disintegrate for some other reason, they stay together until they are found!

[@mrdanforth3744]

The luck of the draw. But, all the letters to this trading family would have been delivered to their home or place of business and stored there together. They may have had hundreds of them stored in baskets ("filed"). In the end they were thrown out together, or maybe the house burned down or fell down and some of the pile survived buried in the ground. What would be remarkable is if they found the other end of the correspondence in a ruin in Turkey. Unlikely, but such accidents have happened.

[@RandomPlaceHolderName]

When a society is obsessed with record keeping, uses a durable material and occupies an arid climate...Writing hundreds of thousands of tablets a year ... an empire lasting hundreds of years ... it easy to imagine you'd find a handful of them together from time to time.

[@nagualdesign]

It may seem more plausible when you consider the countless number of clay tablets that didn't make it. These are just a few of the tiny fraction that did.

[@ironsoul941]

Perhaps their house was burned down which would harden the clay tablets thus preserving them until someone dug them up.

[@stephenryan1912]

How cool. Like peering into the past to see how people lived through their personal correspondence. I must say, I'm envious.

[@EzraColdsGarage]

This is type of stuff that makes me love this series.

[@saftsuse866]

You know you're lonely when you fall in love with a Museum curator off of youtube...

[@noahway13]

Something about a beautiful and smart woman....

[@roxiepoe9586]

I am smitten with Finkle.

[@SirMikeyD]

@@roxiepoe9586 I'm a straight guy, yet STILL smitten by Finkel - "Straight outta Hogwarts, crazy muhfuh name Irving…"

[@seanhaarhoff3726]

Intelligence is sexy.

[@andysoper1229]

She is nice😉

[@dfiala9890]

Do we know if the taking of the "narrow path" was considered properly illegal? I.e.: was the use of the toll roads considered mandatory for traders, or were they maintained and protected as a sort of government service, payed for by the people who choose to use the safer route?

[@Biomirth]

Kind of a fascinating question. I imagine that it would be considered illegal to avoid any tax, and while that seems obvious it's a bit of a cat and mouse game wherein if you do make it universal you also increase the likelihood of bribery whereas if you say "Use our road, pay our tax" you may encourage a mafia of banditry. Not easy being a govt. or a smuggler.

[@Redrogue4711]

Well, I could imagine that it wasn't mandatory. If you were willing to take the risk, it would be your choice. Hiring protection would have cost something, so you would have had to evaluate the profit margin. It might have lengthened your trip, also a cost factor. Many times in history, the major part of tolls and taxes where used for the upkeep of roads, bridges and caravansaries. A fact that is still not generally recognized today. Infrastructure doesn't just pop out of nowhere. That hasn't changed either, along with attempts of tax and toll evasion.

[@lemeres2478]

Depends on the scope of the ruler's influence, I'd imagine. A lot of these "narrow paths" were on the terrible areas that people just couldn't be bothered to formm proper settlements and trade routes in. Given the greater emphasis towards city states- since the limits on transportation made it harder to proper patrol and control larger areas... a lot of these back roads might be seen as free game for anyone foolish enough to use them. The very act of clamping down on a "narrow path" is likely the first step towards a ruler making the area into a properly taxed trade route. If one of them become commonly used enough, then there is incentive to tax it, and incentive to protect it since it brings the traders that bring taxes at the city itself. Early kingdoms were the main city, along with the metropolitan area- farm villages, trade routes, mines- that the ruler tries to maintain.

[@edanridge3023]

I imagine it was probably technically illegal to use the narrow paths because I imagine the fees from merchants were a large part of the government’s income, and you don’t want to lose merchants to bandits and accidents so it’s just a safety hazard but probably know one enforced it

[@GIBKEL]

Fascinating. It never ends. What the past has to tell us is priceless. It’s so specific.

[@kayzee5540]

Fascinating. Also, you are so clearly passionate about your work. Good for you!

[@parrotraiser6541]

Sumerian soap opera! I'm surprised no TV station has made one; the sets and props would be pretty cheap.

[@bredmond812]

I wish they would make one. Oh, and not to be a wise guy, but this wasn't Sumerian. The Sumerians were to the south. Good alliteration though.

[@vladtepes9614]

I hope to see her in future episodes.

[@Rick_Cleland]

Please don't impale her.

[@igorvoloshin3406]

@@Rick_Cleland why not? 🤔

[@actwealthy]

Wow, another beautiful Curator!?! Bring back Irving Finkel!!!

[@BonHomie87]

People are so beautiful when they speak on things they’re passionate about.

[@adamjbond]

Funny how little smuggling has changed over 4000 years.

[@AceOfROMs]

@4:40 That reaction lol

[@SeventhSamurai72]

Mathilde, you are such a delight to watch! And I got to learn some history too! Thank you!

[@susanhepburn6040]

What a wonderful job you have! Thank you very much for this - I found it very interesting and appreciate your presentation.

[@Macieks300]

it must be fascinating studying people who lived so long ago

[@uwusmolbean]

wonder how much it cost to send a tablet letter ? (would go on the trade caravan btwn cities im guessing.)

[@Giannis_Sarafis]

What an extraordinary, difficult but exciting job. I am envious of you! Thanks for sharing!

[@preluded]

Very intriguing...thanks and good luck with your work!

[@squattingheads]

So that’s her secret identity when not fighting crime with the rest of the incredibles

[@paulinelarson465]

My grandchildren are trying to get a grip on the idea that all knowledge recorded on disks, tapes, computers, in the cloud and any electronic devices, is going to be lost to history. My son just had a massive computer crash on his business records. MANY dollars later, very little recovered that was not backed up. They still don't seem ro understand that, had there been a civilization as advanced as ours millennium ago, with technology like ours, there would be no retrievable records.

[@Toyon95]

It is very interesting to think about!

[@setadriftonfishandchips]

It's crazy to think this the age with the most access to information could be lost to history. But it very well could. Chilling.

[@jessicalee333]

@john smith Newspapers won't last thousands of years. Very little paper survives, unless it's preserved in very consistently dry conditions.

[@SaneAsylum]

Computer disks would be recoverable even if in fragments so actually you are wrong. There would be heaps and heaps of records remaining.

[@hqi1321]

@@SaneAsylum Not true, because you'll need something to read the computer disks. For example, our hard drives have certain formats and, in order to read them, you have to have the right operating system. Or, in order for you to listen to a cassette tape, you have to have a cassette player. This is actually an interesting problem in modern archival processes but at the end of the day it comes down to the eternal problem that in order to learn communicate, you have to be speaking the same language.

[@iaincaillte3356]

These ancient people are us and we are them. It takes someone with both knowledge and understanding to help bridge that gap. Well done. Thank you.

[@scmandell5882]

One of the best I've ever listened too. And gorgeous, too.

[@davidwong9230]

These clay tablets were baked. Now that’s cooking the books

[@Tyler.i.81]

Another beautiful woman talking about prehistory I like it.

[@hugo.8626]

it's not even fair

[@jschlock448]

Fascinating! Thank You!

[@skywalkerneoblade]

Why am I only discovering this channel now? I love it.