flix on Nostr: Of course written evidence would be the easy solution. There is some... but it's not ...
Of course written evidence would be the easy solution. There is some... but it's not conclusive. We have Hammurabi's code and previous sumerian ones. We have the Ea Nasir complaint tablet and similar trade records...
Shipwrecks, buried hoards, tombs and other archaeological finds must be used to complement what written evidence we have... they are of course harder to interpret.
Another very good source is Scripture. The Bible spans a long time period, although translations can sometimes get in the way. The Torah earliest texts are believed to be from the 15th C BC and of course the New Testament originates from the 1st C, when monetary systems were already well established.
Shipwrecks, buried hoards, tombs and other archaeological finds must be used to complement what written evidence we have... they are of course harder to interpret.
Another very good source is Scripture. The Bible spans a long time period, although translations can sometimes get in the way. The Torah earliest texts are believed to be from the 15th C BC and of course the New Testament originates from the 1st C, when monetary systems were already well established.