LAND TRANSFER IN BABYLON.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 65, 28 December 1878, Page 3

LAND TRANSFER IN BABYLON.

Mr. \V. St C. Boscawen has discovered among the contract tablets in the British .Museum two documents of great interest t i geometricians. Attached to two terracotta tablets containing deeds of sale of ■■-tales near Babylon, Mr. Boscawen found two neatly drawn plans of the estates in question, the first of these relating to the sales of some land which took place towards the latter end of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. It represents an estate of about eight and a-half acres ill area, and bounded on the northern side by the canal of the goddess Banituo. The names of the owners of all the adjacent lauds are given, and the greatest care is taken in giving the dimensions of these plots of laud. The whole is divided into three jiairs of parallelograms, and cheek dimensions are taken to test the accuracy of the work. A semi-circular portion oil the east side is most carefully measured, both radius and circumference being given. The second plan is unfortunately in a mutilated condition, but the remaining portions show the same care and neatness as are found in the perfect one. The deed of sale in his second document is written on the reverse of the tablet and is dated in the reign of Darius Hystaspes. The value of these documents as bases by which to fix both the lunar and area measures in use in Babylonia is very great. Both these documents from portions of the now well-known series of the hijbi tablets. Mr. Boscawen hopes shortly to publish these documents, accompanied by facsimiles of the plans and translations of the deeds relating to them.— Athenceuni.