A recent excavation in the residential and administrative quarters of ancient Ur in southern Iraq has yielded a rare cuneiform ledger belonging to the 'High Steward of Wetland Fowling.' The tablets, dating to the Neo-Sumerian period, contain detailed records of seasonal migratory bird populations and the specific quotas assigned to hunters in the Mesopotamian marshes. This administrative find highlights the environmental management practices of the Sumerians, who treated waterfowl as a critical and regulated food resource.
The ledger lists species such as mallards, teals, and geese, along with the quantity of nets and reed-traps distributed to state-sponsored fowling teams. According to the lead epigrapher at the Baghdad Archaeological Institute, these records reveal an advanced system of wildlife conservation, where hunting was prohibited during specific breeding moons to ensure the long-term sustainability of the marsh ecosystem.