Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- 50 BCE 2003 CE, 1987, 2002-2003 (Creation)
Extent
2.54 linear feet ([1 half-document case, 2 oversize boxes)
Name of creator
Biographical history
Edgar J. Banks was an antiquities enthusiast and itinerant archaeologist active during the final decades of the Ottoman Empire. He served as American consul in Baghdad beginning in 1898 and acquired large numbers of cuneiform tablets through the antiquities market, which he sold in small groups to museums, libraries, universities, and theological seminaries across the United States, including institutions in Utah and the American Southwest. Many tablets originated from local excavations at sites such as Telloh and other tells in central Mesopotamia, while others were obtained through dealers in Istanbul. During this period, the Ottoman government did not regulate the trade in minor antiquities. Although initially funded to excavate at Ur, Banks was denied permission to dig at major sites such as Babylon and Tell Ibrahim. In 1903, he was authorized to excavate at Bismya, the site of the ancient Sumerian city of Adab in present-day Iraq. His 1912 publication on the Bismya excavations documents both the archaeological work and administrative challenges encountered under Ottoman authority.
In 1909, Banks became a professor of Oriental languages and archaeology at the University of Toledo. After World War I, he traveled widely as a lecturer and continued to distribute cuneiform tablets to collectors and institutions. Tablets he sold to Charles W. Ames are now held by the Science Museum at the University of Minnesota, among other public and private collections in the United States. Banks is also associated with the sale of the cuneiform tablet known as Plimpton 322 to publisher George Arthur Plimpton; the tablet later entered Columbia University’s collections and is recognized for its importance to the study of Babylonian mathematics, frequently cited for its relevance to early understandings of relationships later formalized as the Pythagorean theorem. Banks was additionally involved in early motion picture ventures and undertook an expedition to Mount Ararat in search of Noah’s Ark, and he reportedly served as a consultant on biblical films in the early 1920s. He settled in Eustis, Florida, in 1921 and remained there until his death in 1945 at the age of 79. The Eustis Historical Museum maintains a permanent exhibit interpreting his life and work.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
The collection consists of six Sumerian cuneiform tablets originating from sites including Drehem, Jokha, and Senkereh in ancient Mesopotamia, along with associated documentation. Five tablets measure approximately 1.5 by 1.5 inches and contain administrative texts such as receipts for livestock, temple offering records, and a sealed temple document. One tablet measures approximately 4 by 6.5 inches and has no transcription. Translations accompanying the tablets provide basic information on date, place of origin, and content. South Dakota State College President Willis E. Johnson purchased five of the tablets from Edgar J. Banks in 1923. The sixth tablet was transferred from the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum. Supporting materials include correspondence, clippings, antiquities law references, research notes, manuscripts, photographs, maps, exhibit documentation, and information related to other institutional collections and the UCLA Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. The collection spans from ancient Mesopotamian history to modern research activities conducted primarily in 2002 and 2003.
The collection provides primary source evidence of economic, religious, and administrative practices in ancient Mesopotamia through original Sumerian cuneiform tablets. It documents early twentieth century antiquities collecting practices in the United States through the acquisition of the tablets by South Dakota State College from Edgar J. Banks. The associated research and exhibit materials reflect modern scholarly and educational efforts to interpret, contextualize, and present ancient writing systems and Near Eastern history to academic and public audiences.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
The collection is open for research, but please note that the materials in the Archives do not circulate and can only be used In the SDSU Archives and Special Collections Reading Room.
Please contact us in advance so we can prepare for your visit.
If you cannot visit the Archives in person, please reach out to us. We will do our best to help you find the information you need.
In most cases, the materials in this collection have not been digitized and are not available online.
South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections supports access to the materials in its collections. However, access to some items may be restricted due to their fragile condition, donor agreements, or other considerations.
If you would like to know more about the contents of the collection, please contact the SDSU Archives at:
Information request form: Ask Us! Telephone: 605-688-5094 Email: arcrefs@sdstate.edu
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Reproduction of materials from the collection is subject to the following conditions:
- Permission: Written permission must be obtained from the SDSU Archives for any reproduction, publication, or quotation of materials.
- Copyright: Users are responsible for complying with copyright laws and securing any necessary permissions from copyright holders.
- Fragile Materials: Some items may not be reproduced due to their fragile condition.
- Charges: Reproduction charges may apply, and users will be informed of any costs in advance.
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Acknowledgment: Any reproduced material must include proper acknowledgment of the South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections as the source.
For more information or to request permission, please contact the SDSU Archives.
Languages of the material
English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Uploaded finding aid
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
General note
Copyright and Use Statement
In Copyright This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Materials in this collection may be subject to Title 17, Section 108 of the United States Copyright Act. Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with copyright, privacy, trademark, and other applicable rights for their intended use. Obtaining all necessary permissions is the user's responsibility. Written authorization from the copyright and/or other rights holders is required for publication, distribution, or any use of protected materials beyond what is permitted under fair use.
General note
General note
Online Content
The Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative ( CDLI ) at the University of California, Los Angeles added descriptions of the tablets on their Found Texts website. Tablets 1 and 2 are from the Puzriš-Dagan (mod. Drehem) provenience and dated to the Ur III (ca. 2100-2000BC) period. Tablets 5 and 4 are from the Umma (mod. Tell Jokha) provenience and dated to the Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC) period. The provenience of Tablet 5 is uncertain and is dated to the Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) period. The CDLI did not analyze Tablet 6.
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Sources used
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Banks, Edgar James, 1866-1945 (Subject)