Chief Joseph's Sumerian Tablet. "Inherited it from their white ancestors."

Chief Joseph's Sumerian Tablet. "Inherited it from their white ancestors."

Chief Joseph, the chief of the Nez Perce Indians, carried in his medicine bag, a clay tablet with cuneiform writing. The tablet was a common receipt for the sale of a lamb. The origin of the tablet is a mystery since the tablet in 1876 is well before cuniform tablets were available on the market for sale.

Robert Biggs of Chicago dated the tablet to 2040 B.C. the year that Enmahgalanna was installed as high priestess.

History Mysteries, Mary Gindling

"The chief said that the tablet had been passed down in his family for many generations, and that they had inherited it from their white ancestors. Chief Joseph said that white men had come among his ancestors long ago, and had taught his people many things. His story echoes those told by Native Americans in both North and South America about white culture bringers. But in this case, Joseph had a souvenir to demonstrate the truth of his story."