The Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative

Cuneiform tablets — An Ur III (21st century BC) cuneiform tablet about rations of fish and soup given to oil pressers in the city of Irisagrig

© “Nisaba 15, 0603 Artifact Entry.” (2010) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). March 9, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P412147.

An Ur III (21st century BC) cuneiform tablet about rations of fish and soup given to oil pressers in the city of Irisagrig

© “Nisaba 15, 0603 Artifact Entry.” (2010) 2023. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). March 9, 2023. https://cdli.earth/P412147.

The Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI) is the largest databank of artifacts inscribed with cuneiform and related administrative objects. The initiative curates more than 400,000 records of artifacts provenienced in 738 sites, dispersed in 1284 public and private collections, and spanning three millennia of history. This treasure trove of images, archaeological and geographical data and textual information is an ideal source for research into the history of science and economy, and human-environment interactions.

Since launching the new interface in 2022, usage has grown tenfold and more than 67,000 new records were added, thousands were improved, and images were added through digitisation campaigns and collaborations. The CDLI is an essential infrastructure for the study of cuneiform and is increasingly used by researchers of other disciplines and the general public.

External project collaborators include Jacob Dahl, Bertrand Lafont and Rune Rattenborg; previously also Peter Damerow and Robert K Englund.

The Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative

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