For decades, archaeologists considered a 3500-year-old clay tablet merely a rudimentary and inaccurate drawing. New research, however, unveils a surprising truth. This pottery piece, slightly larger than an adult’s palm, is actually a precise, scaled map of the ancient city of Nippur in Mesopotamia. It potentially represents the world’s oldest urban engineering plan. Researchers discovered this ancient Nippur map during 1899 excavations in modern-day Iraq. For decades, it puzzled them about its interpretation.
According to Jaddeh Makhsoos news agency, the story reached a turning point in the 1970s. At that time, McGuire Gibson, an archaeologist from the University of Chicago, observed aerial photographs of the Nippur region. He noticed a striking match between the lines on the tablet and the city’s wall remnants. Subsequent excavations at points indicated by the tablet revealed fortification remnants. Researchers proved this ancient map was “up to 10 percent” accurate, covering the entire city with an area of about 1.3 square kilometers.
But how did its creators achieve such precision? Augusta McMahon, Professor of Mesopotamian Archaeology at the University of Chicago, states that people of that era were skilled surveyors. They used basic tools like knotted ropes and measuring rods. She adds that they likely used a form of early trigonometry to calculate angles. However, creating such an ancient Nippur map required incremental measurements and patient, painstaking calculations.
The map’s purpose also presents another mystery. Historical evidence shows Nippur’s inhabitants abandoned the city centuries before the tablet’s creation date. Then, a new dynasty of kings, the Kassites, seized power.
Jaddeh Makhsoos reports, Johannes Hackl, Professor of Assyriology at Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Germany, where the tablet resides, explains that Mesopotamian kings “considered construction their duty.” The Kassites began rebuilding Nippur’s ruined sections. This strongly suggests the clay tablet served not just as a map but as an engineering plan and roadmap for the city’s reconstruction. It stands as the oldest urban blueprint researchers have discovered globally.
This remarkable discovery reshapes our understanding of ancient urban planning. The detailed representation on the ancient Nippur map highlights the advanced capabilities of Mesopotamian engineers. It offers invaluable insights into their sophisticated surveying techniques and architectural foresight.