Archaeologists in western Iran have uncovered a Middle Elamite royal scriptorium dating back to approximately 1200 BCE. The site has yielded dozens of large cuneiform tablets that record formal treaties, trade agreements, and royal decrees exchanged between the Elamite kings and the neighboring Kassite rulers of Babylon. These documents provide a rare glimpse into the high-stakes diplomacy of the Bronze Age Near East.
The scriptorium was part of a larger palace complex characterized by monumental glazed-brick facades and intricate stone reliefs. The discovery of unfinished tablets and bronze styluses suggests that the building was a hub for professional scribes who were trained in both Elamite and Akkadian scripts. These records are expected to fill major gaps in the political history of the Elamite Empire.