A 4,000-Year-Old Letter Read Without Breaking Its Clay Seal, Thanks to a New Scanner

Introducing the ENCI Mobile CT Scanner

According to НВ — Техно: June 28, 10:00 PM

Researchers from the University of Hamburg and the DESY research center in Germany have unveiled a groundbreaking mobile CT scanner called ENCI. This device can read sealed cuneiform letters from ancient Anatolia-dating back 4,000 years-without ever damaging their clay envelopes. The findings were published in the scientific journal npj Heritage Science. Weighing approximately 420 kilograms, this innovative machine can be disassembled into eight separate parts for easier transport.

Testing and Discoveries

The ENCI scanner was tested at the Louvre Museum and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, where it produced 64 tomographic scans of 48 artifacts. Most of these letters belonged to Assyrian merchants from the city of Ashur, who lived during the 19th and 18th centuries BCE and traded in textiles and silver. Notably, researchers were able to read a message from a woman named Anna-Anna to her husband Ennuma-Ashur.

The scans also revealed interesting design features in the letters:

• Smaller tablets were used as a kind of 'second page';
• Envelopes were made with multiple layers for extra durability.

These discoveries could greatly expand our understanding of trade and communication in ancient Anatolian civilizations.

The development of the ENCI scanner marks a major achievement in archaeology and historical science, as it allows experts to preserve and study priceless artifacts without causing any harm. This opens up new possibilities for examining ancient texts and communications, which could in turn reshape our understanding of social and economic relationships in early civilizations. Further research based on the data collected may lead to fresh insights into the culture and daily lives of people who lived thousands of years ago.