A joint international expedition at the site of ancient Eridu has revealed a bureaucratic wing dedicated to maritime logistics and harbor management. The excavation uncovered a massive cuneiform archive detailing the maintenance schedules of the royal fleet, as well as the names of shipwrights and the origin of timber imported from distant Dilmun. Among the artifacts were several standardized bronze templates used for casting heavy mooring rings, ensuring uniformity across the city's various docking facilities.
The discovery of this 'Harbor Master’s Bureau' highlights the immense economic importance of the river trade to early Mesopotamian city-states. By analyzing the grain and metal import ledgers found within the tablets, researchers hope to reconstruct the specific trade routes and diplomatic relationships that sustained Eridu as a premier maritime power during the early 2nd millennium BCE.