additive component
Mesopotamia
Source: Cécile Michel, "Binding Cuneiform Tablets in One Unit".
Recipe Details
Ingredients
wax, additive component
Preparation Steps
The tablets (ivory or wood) were filled with a mixture of wax and an unidentified additive component. To ensure the mixture adhered to the support, the surface inside the margins was 'hatched with criss-cross lines in order to obtain a gripping surface for the wax' (p. 19). These boards could be single, double, or multiple, connected by hinges to form a polyptych (p. 16).
Original Recipe Text
The tablets (ivory or wood) were filled with a mixture of wax and an unidentified additive component. To ensure the mixture adhered to the support, the surface inside the margins was 'hatched with criss-cross lines in order to obtain a gripping surface for the wax' (p. 19). These boards could be single, double, or multiple, connected by hinges to form a polyptych (p. 16).
Evidence
"These tablets made of wood were filled with a mixture of wax and an additive component which gave the wax plasticity and a yellow colour."
Remarks
Sixteen luxury ivory boards were found in 1953 by Max Mallowan in a well at the North-West Palace of Kalhu (p. 18). They formed a polyptych coated with wax on both sides and hinged as a concertina book. The outer cover featured four lines of incised text giving the title of the astrological series Enūma Anu Enlil (p. 19).
Scientific Analysis
Certainty Level
Inferred
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
pigment
Binderwax
ColorYellow
RegionMesopotamia
Approx. Year-850
Source Information
AuthorCécile Michel, "Binding Cuneiform Tablets in One Unit".
CollectionNorth-West Palace of Kalhu, modern Nimrud, in Iraq
Language
N/A
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