Did you know that the Valdosta State University Archives is home to 5000-year-old Babylonian clay tablets? History professor Dr. Melanie Byrd and retired Archivist Deborah Davis, joined by staff of the Archives, will present the history of the Babylonian Clay Tablets acquired by South Georgia State Normal College (VSU) in 1920. The story spans from empire building at the turn of the century, to issues relating to a 7-year-old girl’s school in South Georgia, to details of life in an empire in ancient Mesopotamia. Uncovering the history of the tablets at VSU and exploring the life and career of early adventurer and archaeologist Edward James Banks is a fascinating story. The later translation of the tablets themselves opens a vivid picture of a long-ago world. We will meet in the William Mobley Reading Room on the 4th fl oor of Odum Library, part of the VSU Archives, where the 10 tablets owned by the university are on display. More information about this collection is available in the archives’ online display: https://archives.valdosta.edu/babylon/

 Instructors: Dr. Melanie Byrd, VSU History; Deboran Davis, Odum Library Archivist, Retired; VSU Archive Staf