Personal notes of Dr Sana Barzani regarding the Barnun Tablets.
(15/03/1999-31/03/1999)
Dr Sana Farhan Barzani was an Assyriologist and renowned translator of ancient cuneiform texts. Her father took up a lecturing position in Assyriology at Cambridge after her family left Iraq when she was young. Barzani then followed in his footsteps and became a respected academic in her own right. Subsequently — having attained both her Doctorate and a role as a lecturer at the same prestigious university as her father — she went on to pursue her own independent projects, purportedly drawn to bizarre fringe cases that wider academia would avoid.
She went missing in the spring of 1999.
The following pages were sent to me around a month ago and, according to the note attached, are Dr Barzani’s personal notes from the months leading up to her disappearance. The plain manila folder didn’t have an address (sending or return), no stamps or postal marks, the note stuck to it didn’t even have my real name on it. It read:
“Emrys. I hope you haven’t given up entirely, there’s still work to be done. These pages should help you understand, should lead you to him and the secrets he has hidden from the world. Share them and I will send more.”
I don’t know who sent these pages, how he is involved, or even if these pages are authentic - but if there is a possibility that this could lead to some tangible evidence, I can’t turn away.
I will prove the existence of this immortal man.
Exciting news out of UoB[1] today, however poorly timed. The Kish project that Cavendish roped me into has started, and it is as boring as I thought it would be. But, the fates have decided to tempt me with one of the most bizarre finds I’ve ever had described to me. A shopkeeper in Barnun was in the process of adding a basement to his store, and in the excavation they found a series of fractured cuneiform tablets[3] buried in a vertical formation, the last being found almost 7 feet under the first.
I, like every other assyriologist in the field, love to hear about a new find. Washed up tablets on the banks of the Euphrates, emerald seals lost under the sands of ancient pathways, ancient graffiti of mountains and caves with the names of Kings and tales of their exploits in battles, blah, blah, f*cking blah. Most of the time, the evidence supports these discoveries having being lost or forgotten by complete accident; but this one seems to have been deliberately and meticulously buried, like a grave without a body.
Intriguing as it is, this is the exact kind of project that my peers find far too risky to invest in: it was found far from other dig sites, the context sheets[4] were rushed due to an impatient landowner, all leading to a higher risk of mid-project dead ends leaving you with little but wasted time and waning sanity. But this is the exact kind of discovery that I could not get out of my head if I tried. Which is probably why Amir[5] sounded so goddamn smug when he pitched it to me, knowing I wouldn’t be able to resist the opportunity to translate whatever they’re able to put back together (I fear he now knows me too well, he will have to die for his arrogance). Suffice to say, I’m not sure how well I’ll be able to concentrate on the tedious slog of translating cattle inventory for the next two weeks with the promise of mysteriously buried tablets waiting for me on the other side.
But I’ll have to wait either way. Each fragment only shows a fraction of the text and Amir’s team don’t yet know how, or even if, these 20 fractured pieces fit together! If they do, I have questions: these were obviously buried rather meticulously, were they split by the same hand too? What is on those tablets that someone so long ago wanted buried and lost forever? How am I supposed to focus on a long-dead merchant’s need to count the fleas on his newest heifer’s back when I have this mysterious treat waiting for me in the pipeline? Either way, I have instructed Amir to send me any updates as they reassemble the pieces. I commend the hand that broke and buried these in an effort to keep them lost forever, but I will labour to undo these efforts and laugh in their face when I meet them in death!
[1] I think UoB, from context, is an abbreviation of ‘University of Babylon’. [2] Kish was an ancient Sumerian city, east of Babylon. [3] Cuneiform is the earliest known forms of writing used to communicate in many languages across ancient Mesopotamia for around 3000 years. [4] Archaeological digs require context sheets, documenting the process of an excavation to preserve information as dirt is moved and objects are unearthed. [5] Dr Amir Saleh is known as the youngest head of department the University of Babylon has ever had, a renowned archaeologist and researcher and Dr Barzani’s younger cousin.
As I trudge my way through Kishian bureaucratic bullsh*t, I’ve found my mind drifting anxiously back to the tablet fragments from Barnun. I’m worried I might be building it up too much in my head and it's either nonsense or, worse, boring. It’s an exercise in self-control, keeping my mind off of future projects allows me to be pleasantly surprised when something ends up meeting my high expectations of mystery and intrigue. Unfortunately, I’ve never been one for self-control and a well-timed email from UoB was the deadly blow to my already weakened attention span.
However much I tease and jeer at my baby cousin’s expense, Amir has followed through (I may even have congratulated him on doing so well at his job if he weren’t literally paid to do so). They’re starting to fit together! Almost 2 whole tablets have been reassembled, making it even more likely that all pieces will be used to give me a full set to translate. On the 2 we have, it seems like one direct hit to the centre of both caused them to fracture outwards into about 4-7 sections each. The Sana of the future can be upset by my distraction, but the Kish project has been delayed quite a bit by Cavendish and his stupid ‘Cambridge standard’, and I can’t help myself.
After reading Amir’s email summarising the project so far and doing my best to examine the grainy images attached, something caught my eye. They are excellently preserved, each fragment clearly protected by the packed dirt around it. Why then are there a series of markings that marre and obscure the text? If they were accidental damage, they must have occured before or during their burial. But the damage seems far too focussed to have occurred by chance, none of the marks crossing lines of text and even staying consistent across the main fracture lines, suggesting deliberate and focused destruction. (I’m trying to not get ahead of myself but what’s the harm in noting down a theory?) I believe whoever is responsible for the breaking of these tablets scraped at sections of the text before breaking them into smaller pieces for burial.
NOTE TO SELF: Suggest this theory to Amir, have forensics check to allow for maximum gloating when I’m inevitably proven right.
Sadly, I must leave my excitement in these pages. I know I hope for more drama from these artifacts than they’re likely ever going to deliver, but this is proving rather delicious already. I almost fear this will ruin me for all other finds and I’ll have to quit research forever. Baba would understand, he was always the same with these types of discoveries. I can’t wait to tell him about it, and then we can laugh in the face of the tablet’s attempted murderer together!
But for now, a cigarette to calm myself before bed.
It feels like an age between every update. The feet-dragging on the Kish project is torturous, along with the lethargy of the faculty as we mark our way through piles of the ramblings of unimaginative first years. I was starting to question my entire career when the envelope containing Amir’s updates on the Barnun tablets appeared on my desk. It took everything in me to suppress a victorious cry when I pulled out the pictures. 5 full tablets! Amir had included high quality pictures along with clear rubbings of the texts. Despite the torture of knowing I couldn’t yet lose myself to this discovery with Cavendish’s project still left unifinished, it felt good to know that I could start as soon as I’m free to do so.
Along with the pictures, Amir provided a written update of the project so far. Firstly, and unsurprisingly, I was right. The conclusion on the indentations by the forensic team at UoB matches my theory. Examining the markings more closely, they found that they were likely made with some sort of scraping tool after the clay had been dried[6]. Every one of these marks obscures a section of text, as if someone wanted to erase parts of the information written there. They also concluded that, as the markings are consistent across fracture lines, the scraping occurred prior to the tablets being broken and buried.
Another piece of information Amir casually mentioned was that the forensic team tested between the cracks of the fragments where a strange discolouration had been found. These tests came back positive for blood. Human blood to be more specific. Amir seemed excited that we actually have some biological material to carbon date if needs be, but I think he missed the part where the tablets are covered in human blood! (I am truly concerned by this man’s lack of imagination.) I mean, it could be something as innocuous as someone cutting their hand on a tool, but it could imply some sort of human sacrifice or even murder! But again, assumption is my downfall and I should keep such conclusions un-leapt for now.
Carbon dating the blood would be a drain on funding and time so it was requested in Amir’s note that I try to date these artifacts through context clues from the text itself first. I could have waited until I was done with all other important tasks, but I felt possessed as I started sifting through the symbols before me. As always, I do my preliminary scan for language[7] and a couple words stood out. The first word I found was the name “Kūruš”, the Neo-Babylonian name for Cyrus the Great. Using that as my first foothold, I start scanning for context and there a few mentions of Cyrus’ invasion of Babylon which occurred in 539 BCE. Who needs carbon dating when the thing practically tells you the date of its creation? I send off an email telling Amir we’re looking at the 6th century BC and try to refocus on my tasks for the Kish project.
From this evidence, I’ve put together a timeline of events. Over 2500 years ago, someone attempted to destroy and bury 5 cuneiform tablets. Either it was the author themselves attempting to hide what they’d written or someone else trying to destroy the knowledge pressed into the clay. They scraped out passages in the dried tablets with a tool, erasing words or passages from the text entirely: the tool was then placed in the centre of each tablet and struck, causing the tablets to crack into pieces that were then buried in a vertical formation in the dirt. Blood is spilt at some point during this, by accident or on purpose I cannot definitively say.
But that is all I will note down for now. Until I am done with existing obligations, no matter how mind-numbingly boring they are, I will put this to bed. I am counting down the days until I can start this translation.
[6] Cuneiform tablets were made by pressing the symbols into drying clay with instruments made from reeds. The clay is then dried and set. [7] Cuneiform was used for around 3000 years across cultures and languages. It was first used to communicate in Sumerian but was then adopted by the others such as the Akkadians, the Elamites, the Hurrian, and the Babylonians as well.
I brought the envelope home last night, placed it on my desk and got ready for bed. But something I had seen earlier in the day, written in the text, called me to open it again and take another look. Just to check, to put my mind at rest. With the name “Kūruš” identified and the language the text is written in confirmed, there was one word that kept leaping out at me as I skimmed over the symbols.
“Udug”[8]. Demon.
Now, my rational side is calmly stating that this points to the text having been written for religious purposes or simply written by a zealot of some kind. In fact, my rationality is excited to start sifting through the poetic language of myth and metaphor to find the reality buried beneath it. I gave up pretending to be religious quite a while ago, too pragmatic to have superstitions, and I thought myself immune to it all.
All this to say, I’m not sure why this project is giving me the creeps. I’ve handled grave digs, translated descriptions of bloody battles, so many religious fanatics writing about the end of the world when Babylon would get invaded again. The word ‘Udug’ doesn’t even necessarily indicate evil intent!
But I think it’s that along with the purposeful and meticulous burial of the thing. The blood as well. Altogether it makes for quite an unnerving scene, but I hate to say that this only intrigues me further. What could these clay tablets possibly say to make someone go through all this effort to keep them hidden away forever?
Luckily demons aren’t real.
[8] ‘Udug’ is a general Neo-Babylonian term used to refer to demons, as individual demons would be referred to name or type.
That was all that was in the folder. The sender promised more if I published this first batch of pages, but it took a lot to even consider it.
The note addressed me as Emrys, a name I’ve only gone by online and a name I haven’t used since they laughed me out of any forum I found to talk about my theories. This could all be a trick. One final, cruel prank on the ‘crazy conspiracist’. But if these pages could really give me any concrete evidence for the things I know are true, I have to take the risk.
Once this goes up, I should get the next package. Assuming it’s all real, that is. I will do what I can to get the next part out soon, but I’m still laying low. If he knows where I am, he’s not after me yet. That might change, depending on what’s in those next pages.
Uploaded: 17/02/2025
Click here for Part 2