The Ashmolean

Iraq: Navel of the World

Country Life [4]

The Iraqi agricultural year runs from autumn to spring: the summers are too hot for crops to grow. This broken clay sickle was used to harvest barley at Jemdat Nasr 5000 years ago. Although clay cannot provide a sharp cutting edge and is easily broken, it was much cheaper and easier to shape than scarce and expensive copper.
[1926.480]

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