During the tenth excavation campaign at Nigin (Tell Zurghul) in Iraq, the Italian Archaeological Mission uncovered a remarkable proto-cuneiform tablet dating back to the late fourth millennium BCE. Interpreted by Sapienza University scholar Lorenzo Verderame, the tablet offers fresh insight into early administrative practices and the economic life of Sumerian cities.

The text documents the distribution of substantial quantities of fish—an essential resource in a settlement surrounded by rivers, canals, and access to the sea. Notably, the scribe also records the use of 500 wicker containers for transporting and storing the catch, a detail supported by the large amount of fish remains found in the excavated rooms. The find enriches our understanding of daily life and food management in one of the world’s earliest urban civilizations.