Cuneiform-Inscribed Bricks Unveil Strength of Ancient Geomagnetic Field in Mesopotamia

Reconstructing the behavior of Earth’s magnetic field during archaeological periods is crucial for both achieving a better understanding of the field and related natural phenomena and for providing a basis for absolute dating archaeological materials. In new research, University College London’s Professor Mark Altaweel and his colleagues analyzed 32 inscribed baked bricks from Mesopotamia from the 3rd-1st millennia BCE (the reigns of 12 Mesopotamian kings).