Assyrian Chronicle

cuneiform tablet

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July 17, 2026

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The Assyrian Chronicle is a cuneiform tablet that provides a chronological record of Mesopotamian history, primarily focusing on the period between 747 and 539 BCE. Cuneiform is an ancient writing system characterized by wedge-shaped marks, originating in Mesopotamia around the end of the 4th millennium BCE with the Sumerians. These tablets are crucial for reconstructing Mesopotamian chronology, as they contain astronomical observations, king lists, and eponym lists that help date historical events. The Assyrian Chronicle, along with other texts like Ptolemy's Canon and King List A, has been instrumental in establishing a detailed timeline of Babylonian and Assyrian history, despite some gaps in the record.12

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Assyrian
The Assyrian Chronicle, a cuneiform tablet that preserves the names of the annual magistrates who gave their names to the years (similar to the later Athenian archons or Roman consuls), records under the year that corresponds to 763–762 bce: “Revolt in the citadel; in [the month]…
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The Assyrian Chronicle, a cuneiform tablet that preserves the names of the annual magistrates who gave their names to the years (similar to the later Athenian archons or Roman consuls), records under the year that corresponds to 763–762 bce: “Revolt in the citadel; in [the month]…
Read More