This Ancient Babylonian cuneiform tablet documents a complaint from a buyer (Nanni) to a merchant (Ea-nasir) claiming that Ea-nasir supplied the wrong grade of copper ore. It was unearthed in the ancient city of Ur and is now on display in the British Museum.

Creating a document in labor-intensive cuneiform took dedication. So, we suspect that the original copper order from Nanni to Ea-nasir was a verbal agreement. In any case, the outcome illustrates, since time immemorial, the importance of communication (or construction documents) that embrace the five Cs: correct, complete, clear, concise, and consistent.

In the practice of exterior restoration, correct specification of products and materials is critical. It can mean the difference between a successful project and one that falls short of the intended design.

It's also surprising that, over 3,700 years ago, a material like copper was graded—long before the existence of ASTM International.

𐏂𐎧𐎠𐎭𐎪 𐏀𐎮𐎸 𐎥𐎮𐎱 𐎱𐎤𐎠𐎣𐎨𐎭𐎦

(“Thank you for reading” in cuneiform)