Old Persian on Clay

The discovery of the Old Persian administrative tablet (Fort 1208-101) in 2006 prompted this brief review of the Old Persian documents on clay Beside the administrative tablet from Persepolis, which remains unique, some Achaemenid royal inscriptions were written on clay tablets and cylinders Among them, the most conspicuous is the oversized clay tablet (Sb 2789) bearing an exemplar of the Old Persian inscription DSf A reassessment of the internal report (1912) and the published account (1947) written by Mecquenem, even if discordant, may shed some new light on its archaeological context, which would be decisive to under stand if Sb 2789 represents a foundation document or a master text to be copied on stone.