Extracts of Cyrus Cylinder Found in China

[Nicholas]

Extracts of Cyrus Cylinder found in China

British Museum curator has identified cuneiform text inscribed on horse bones

By Martin Bailey | From issue 215, July-August 2010
Published online 2 Aug 10 (News)

LONDON. Two fossilised horse bones with cuneiform inscriptions have been found in China, carved with extracts from the Cyrus Cylinder. They were initially dismissed as fakes because of the improbability of ancient Persian texts turning up in Beijing. But following new research, British Museum (BM) specialist Irving Finkel is now convinced of their authenticity.

This discovery looks set to transform our knowledge about what is arguably the most important surviving cuneiform text, written in the world’s earliest script. Dating from 539BC, the Cyrus Cylinder was ceremonially buried in the walls of Babylon. Its text celebrates the achievements of Cyrus the Great, ruler of the Persian empire. The clay cylinder was excavated by BM archaeologists in 1879 and sent to London, where it is one of the museum’s most important antiquities.


Source and more: http://www.theartnewspaper.com/artic...China%20/21147

Fascinating find if it turns out to be the real deal.

[FreezBee]

Fascinating find if it turns out to be the real deal.

Indeed it is.

From the linked article:

link

The texts found in China inexplicably have fewer than one in every 20 of the Cyrus text’s cuneiform signs transcribed, although they are in the correct order. ...
“The text used by the copier on the bones was not the Cyrus Cylinder, but another version, probably originally written in Persia, rather than Babylon,” Finkel believes. It could have been a version carved on stone, written with ink on leather, or inscribed on a clay tablet. Most likely the original object was sent during the reign of Cyrus to the far east of his empire, in the west of present-day China.

© source where applicable

But why would a copy of the Cyrus cylinder text be sent to China? And why would a copy of that copy onto bones only contain every 2oth of the original letters?

Perhaps it's a school exercise? If Cyrus' empire stretched that far, obviously officials in China would need to be able to read and write cuneiform, so that might be an explanation.


- FreezBee


- FreezBee

[shunyadragon]

Fascinating find if it turns out to be the real deal.

I have no problem with this discovery. There is evidence of trade in nephrite jade from Xinjiang region to the Shanghai area early than this time, and some evidence that the trade extended to Persia. The Jade Road came first, followed by what is called the Silk Road today. That is why I call it the Jade-Silk Road.

[Nicholas]

I have no problem with this discovery. There is evidence of trade in nephrite jade from Xinjiang region to the Shanghai area early than this time, and some evidence that the trade extended to Persia. The Jade Road came first, followed by what is called the Silk Road today. That is why I call it the Jade-Silk Road.

I should probably explain that the reason my comment contained some uncertainty is that as a student of history I've been taught to generally make sure I have multiple sources supporting something. I don't see any reason to doubt this discovery, but as a course of habit I tend to be cautious when deciding how certain I can be about something. For instance, I would ask why was it made? Where exactly in China was it produced? What does this say about the level of contact between China and Persia, specifically does this mean that there may have been direct correspondence between the governments of these areas, or did it just manage to get transported as a result of moving along the trade route?

[shunyadragon]

I should probably explain that the reason my comment contained some uncertainty is that as a student of history I've been taught to generally make sure I have multiple sources supporting something. I don't see any reason to doubt this discovery, but as a course of habit I tend to be cautious when deciding how certain I can be about something. For instance, I would ask why was it made? Where exactly in China was it produced? What does this say about the level of contact between China and Persia, specifically does this mean that there may have been direct correspondence between the governments of these areas, or did it just manage to get transported as a result of moving along the trade route?

These are all valid questions. My point is that trade likely existed with China at this time, and one of the necessary components of trade is communication. Some of the earliest forms of communication were pottery shards, and knots tied in horse hair. Learning and understanding cuneiform, and early Chinese symbols would be part of the normal process of trade.

Because of my interest in jade, trade routes have always been of interest to me. I believe trade was the earliest inspiration for written or other simple forms of fixed communication
which resulted in primitive contracts and agreements.

The Jade Road was the earliest longest trade route in history centering in Xinjiang on salt and jade, and began about 2000 BCE. Another interesting trade route is the European version centering in the Austrian-Swiss salt and jade deposits which extends from the British Isles to down the Danube. Evidence is in the jade artifacts found along the route. One interesting thing about jade is that its composition is site specific and gives a chemical finger print that can be identified.

[shunyadragon]

I thought I might add an another interesting archeological site that may be important here. It is Loulan, Xinjiang. It is the site of the Tarim Caucasian mummies, and the earliest datable nephrite jade from Kunlun Shan Mountain near the Afghanistan border. These date ~2000 BCE. This location used have a large lake and moister climate than, but now it is uninhabitable.