In the middle of the 19th century the discovery which shed light on the history of ancient Assyria was made. During excavation of the city of Nineveh, Assyrian capital, archeologists found library of the legendary tsar Ashshurbanipal which it brought together several decades zealously and care. Surprisingly, but the most part of clay tablets of which the library consisted survived after destruction of the city and the fire accompanying invasion of enemies.
Instruction
1. During government of the Assyrian tsar Ashshurbanipal who was in power in the middle of the 7th century B.C. there were almost no wars therefore the governor devoted all the free time to work on creation of library. The collection of clay tablets on which in those days traditionally wrote down various data occupied several rooms.
2. Books contained and stored in a strict order to which some modern libraries could envy. Each separate plate contained the title of the book and the page number. There was in library also a systematic catalog. In it the name of the clay book, quantity of lines and even a field of knowledge to which records were referred was brought. Labels where the concrete department of library was specified were attached to shelves on which plates were stored.
3. The library of the city of Nineveh as subsequently scientists established, contained more than thirty thousand books which stored in themselves information on everything, than the ancient culture of that time was rich. Many pages were devoted to mathematical calculations. It appears, mathematicians of Entre Rios knew not only simple arithmetic actions, but were also able to calculate percent and the areas of various geometrical figures. There were in library also historical descriptions, collections of laws, reference materials, dictionaries and many other things.
4. The manufacturing techniques of clay books were very smart and peculiar. Only at the beginning inscriptions were carried out on crude clay by a metal stick. Over time there was equipment of the press: in the beginning on a wooden plate the master cut out an inscription, and then from this matrix prints on clay tablets of the small size became. Such "press" allowed to fix reliably information on rather strong material carrier.
5. After invasion of the Babylon and median soldiers who subjected Nineveh to full defeat after Ashshurbanipal's death, the library was destroyed. Archeologists found a set of clay tablets which in a disorder were heaped among ruins of the royal palace. Many plates, unfortunately, were broken. But the fire did not manage to destroy library completely. Fire so pernicious for wood, only tempered clay pages, having made them is even more durable.
6. Having verified with catalogs, scientists counted that after the fire no more tenth part of funds of Ashshurbanipala library survived. There are bases to believe that a part of a collection of books was presented in the form of papyrian and pergament rolls which irrevocably died. The remained part of library survived only thanks to property of clay to become stronger under fire exposure. Now the remains of legendary library are stored in the British museum.