Clay cylinders were one type of clay object bearing inscriptions, especially royal inscriptions. We find ‘ordinary’ cylinders whose bases are roughly circular and symmetrical and sides are relatively straight; and barrel cylinders which typically have a bulge in the centre. The inscription was usually parallel to the axis of the cylinder unlike a prism where the inscription is perpendicular to the axis. Both types were used in foundation deposits, and may have derived from Old Babylonian ‘headless’ cones. Cylinders are attested from the third millennium, such as the cylinders of Gudea, ruler of Lagash, and first millennium, such as the Cyrus cylinder from the Achaemenid period. While there are examples of cylinders from the Neo-Assyrian kings, like the cylinders of Sennacherib, this object type was especially favoured by Neo-Babylonian kings, such as the cylinders of Nabonidus. Cylinders were also used in scribal schools as a medium for writing exercises during the Old Babylonian period. For other clay objects found in foundation deposits, see the categories of ‘Cone’, ‘Prism’, and ‘Tablet’ respectively. For foundation pegs, see the ‘Figure’ category. - Ellen Ryan and Benjamin Caspi
| Name | Language |
|---|---|
| أسطوانة | Arabic |
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@misc{CDLI2026cylinder,
note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-09]},
author = {{CDLI contributors}},
year = {2026},
month = {oct 9},
title = {cylinder - {Artifact} {Types}},
url = {https://cdli.earth/artifact-types/2},
howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/artifact-types/2},
}
TY - ELEC AU - CDLI contributors DA - 2026/10/9/ PY - 2026 ID - temp_id_856497369272 M1 - 2026/10/9/ TI - cylinder - Artifact Types UR - https://cdli.earth/artifact-types/2 ER -