Cuneiform script was developed over 5,000 years ago in Sumer (southern Mesopotamia/modern day southern Iraq) and is the earliest system of writing. The Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia is fortunate to house around 3,000 examples of this early writing. Experience the rare opportunity to touch tablets that are thousands of years old, and learn about the different uses of cuneiform. Discover samples of student tablets, tablets with envelopes, animal tags, and foundation cones. What information was written on tablets? Handle examples of tablets from different periods, from Early Dynastic iiib (2500-2340 BCE) to Neo-Babylonian (626-539 BCE). Can you tell the difference between a tablet written in Sumerian and one written in Akkadian?  Before the class, visitors can participate in a family baking program, and bake their own cuneiform cookies using recepies Sumerians used thousands of years ago. 

Take history in the palm of your hand: turn pages, hold manuscripts, and handle artifacts with the Hands-on History series from the Free Library's Special Collections. Curiosity seekers of all ages are welcome! 

Attendance is free, but reservations are suggested to secure your seats.

Find out more about the Hands-on History series!