Forever Inanna by Floreana Nativo

Author:Floreana Nativo [Nativo, Floreana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-03-11T06:00:00+00:00

N.B. Erra is Nergal, god warrior, bridegroom of Ereshkigal, queen of the Underworld.

TELL MARDIK - EBLA EXCAVATION

Gianna was squatting on a mat and was studying a newly discovered tomb.

“What’s so interesting?”

Gianna lifted her face towards the figure of Riccardo, who cast a shadow over her.

“You’re late. The workers have just uncovered the entrance to a burial chamber. What shall we do: wait for Grazi or shall we go in?”

“Don’t be so obsequious, you can be sure he wouldn’t be so considerate. By the way, I know that a lot of tablets were uncovered.”

“Yes, it’s a pity that almost all the cretulae which sealed the baskets were broken and so a lot of material is mixed up, in any case they mostly regard the organisations of the royal palace that hosted around ten thousand people in charge of various jobs. A thousand were in the Saza, the heart of the palace, for the manufacturing of the yarns and thus the wardrobe.”

“Ten thousand people….that’s absurd! What was all this clothing for?”

“Each month around a hundred garments were given to dignitaries who were guests of the kingdom and to the high functionaries. And then there were the artisans skilled in the inlay of mother of pearl in wood, the goldsmiths, the kitchen personnel and those who specialised in the herbs to be offered to the gods, the astrologists, the exorcists, the haruspices, the doctors, the cantors. Countless people that the scribes had to record and do accounting for. Everything was recorded, even the number of livestock to be offered in sacrifice, while a separate accounting was carried out in the rooms designated for women, the ladies of the palace.”

“A computer would certainly have been helpful to them.”

“Just think that their passion for numbers led them to fill out quasi-scholastic tablets. The most important is the Plimpton 322, preserved in the museum at Columbia University: it contains fifteen sets of three numbers, the first number of each set of three is a square and is the sum of the other two that are in turn squares. It’s basically a Pythagorean set of three. They used a numeric system in base 60. Furthermore, as you know of course,” there was a hint of irony in Gianna’s voice, “writing comes from the notches that the farmers carved on bones or on the clay tablets to keep count of their goods. The first carvings date back to 15,000 BC and the first accounting marks in the shape of tokens, cones and spheres date back to 8,000 BC.”

“It’s all very interesting,“ but Riccardo’s eyes expressed boredom and he stifled a yawn, “but I am tired of waiting. The boys will have gone to call him. I’m going in. If you want to wait for him…”

“No need to wait. Mattia alerted me immediately.” Grazi had arrived surreptitiously. “Come, let’s go in.”

Various half-pulverised animal skeletons loomed before their eyes. Some still had the metal poles resting on their carcasses, while of the wooden wagons to which they had been attached to, there was no longer a trace.

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