World's oldest ghost drawing discovered on ancient clay tablet

26 Oct 2021

World’s oldest ghost drawing discovered on ancient clay tablet

World’s oldest ghost drawing discovered on ancient clay tabletThe world's oldest ghost drawing

Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural? Humans have believed in the supernatural since ancient times. And this latest discovery seems to be another example of that.

A museum curator named Irving Finkel has discovered the world's oldest ghost drawing. He found it on a 3500-year-old ancient Babylonian clay tablet. Moreover, the tablet has instructions on how to exorcise (drive away) the ghost!

The ghost drawing is that of a bearded male ghost who looks a bit grumpy. And a woman is leading him to the underworld using a rope. The tablet is quite small and it looks like half of it is missing.
Discovery of the world's oldest ghost drawing
Finkel made the discovery when he was studying ghost-related tablets in the British Museum in London. The British Museum got the tablet in the 19th century, along with thousands of other tablets from Babylon. Babylon was a famous ancient city that was located near Baghdad in Iraq.

Finkel is publishing a new book on his findings and study of this and other ghost-related tablets. He says that even though Babylonians lived thousands of years ago, all the things they feared would also be very familiar to us today. It just shows how humanity is the same, whether in the past or present.

Are you interested in the latest news updates? Or are you curious enough to enjoy reading non-fictional information and trivia? We at Curious Times are committed to providing the best experience and news to children. Do also check out the Curious Times Weekly newspaper every week and The Curious Magazine every month. We are delighted to publish the creative art, photographs, write up and more that children send us in My Expressions. Do write to us at hello@curioustimes.in. You can also reach out to us on WhatsApp, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook.

Recommended for Middle Grades

The world’s oldest ghost drawing

Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural? Humans have believed in the supernatural since ancient times. And this latest discovery seems to be another example of that.

A museum curator named Irving Finkel has discovered the world’s oldest ghost drawing. He found it on a 3500-year-old ancient Babylonian clay tablet. Moreover, the tablet has instructions on how to exorcise (drive away) the ghost!

Who is a museum curator?

A museum curator is someone who manages and oversees a collection of objects in a museum or gallery.

The ghost drawing is that of a bearded male ghost who looks a bit grumpy. And a woman is leading him to the underworld using a rope. The tablet is quite small and it looks like half of it is missing.

Discovery of the world’s oldest ghost drawing

Finkel made the discovery when he was studying ghost-related tablets in the British Museum in London. The British Museum got the tablet in the 19th century, along with thousands of other tablets from Babylon. Babylon was a famous ancient city that was located near Baghdad in Iraq.

Are you interested in the latest news updates? Or are you curious enough to enjoy reading non-fictional information and trivia? We at Curious Times are committed to providing the best experience and news to children. Do also check out the Curious Times Weekly newspaper every week and The Curious Magazine every month. We are delighted to publish the creative art, photographs, write up and more that children send us in My Expressions. Do write to us at hello@curioustimes.in. You can also reach out to us on WhatsApp, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook.