Scientists have found a way to read ancient cuneiform text locked inside sealed clay envelopes by using a new CT scan tool that does not require breaking the clay open.
The technology, called ENCI, lets researchers see and translate writing that has stayed hidden for roughly 4,000 years. The findings were published in the journal npj Heritage Science.
Cécile Michel, the lead author of the study and a researcher at the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures at the University of Hamburg, led the international team behind the project.
The scanner was built to study cuneiform tablets, which are small clay slabs covered in wedge-shaped writing. Many of these tablets were once placed inside a thin clay envelope for protection, privacy, or legal proof.
Breaking the envelope was the only way to read the tablet inside, but doing so destroyed seal markings that scholars need for research. Museums stopped opening these envelopes decades ago, leaving the texts unread.
CT scan technology brings hidden cuneiform text to light
ENCI solves that problem. The machine is a portable, high-resolution CT scanner built specifically for fieldwork in museums and archives.
It weighs about 420 kilograms (926 pounds) but breaks down into eight pieces, so it can be carried into buildings that lack space for large lab equipment. The team first tested the device at the Louvre Museum in Paris in February 2024.
They later brought it to the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations in Ankara, Turkey, where they scanned about fifty sealed tablets over three weeks in the fall of 2024.
Among the discoveries was a letter from a woman named Anna-anna to her husband, a merchant named Ennum-Aššur. In the letter, she described chasing down a debt on his behalf and grew frustrated waiting for him to come home.
Another scanned envelope held two tablets stacked together, showing how a writer added a second small tablet when the first ran out of room. A third tablet revealed instructions for canceling a loan once it had been repaid.
Seeds and multiple clay layers reveal ancient craftsmanship
The scans also showed what was inside the clay itself. One tablet contained a barley seed buried in its envelope. Archaeobotanist Andrew Fairbairn examined the scan and identified the seed by its flattened shape and shallow groove.
Other scans revealed that envelopes were often built from several folded layers of clay rather than just one, which likely made them sturdier for travel.
Michel and her colleagues say the scanner could now be used on other fragile artifacts, including ancient manuscripts and sealed containers, opening new paths for studying history without damaging it.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
