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Clay tokens

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Small clay objects of varied shapes; some supported counting, but Neolithic examples do not establish one accounting system or function for all.

Clay tokens from Susa, Uruk period, Louvre; group includes SB 4966, SB 4977 and others. Fourth-millennium examples, not the earliest Neolithic tokens
Clay tokens from Susa, Uruk period, Louvre; group includes SB 4966, SB 4977 and others. Fourth-millennium examples, not the earliest Neolithic tokens© Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5 · CC BYLicense · Image source

Text

Function and context

The label “token” does not determine use. Neolithic assemblages suggest multiple functions, including counting. Resemblance to a later sign does not prove direct descent. The image shows later Susa objects, not the earliest Neolithic examples.[1]

References and notes

  1. Lucy E. Bennison-Chapman (2019; online 2018). Reconsidering “Tokens”: The Neolithic Origins of Accounting or Multifunctional, Utilitarian Tools? Cambridge Archaeological Journal 29(2), 233–259. doi:10.1017/S0959774318000513. Abstract only: approximately 3,000 objects and data from 56 additional sites; multiple functions including counting. Paywalled full text not read. Return to the text ↑

Research history

Substantive changes are retained here. Minor copy edits remain in the internal operational log.

  1. Edition 2 · 10 October 2026 · editor:aladmin

    Substantive record update

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IL Archive, «Clay tokens», Edition 2, https://ilarchive.com/en/entities/clay-token