The Birmingham City Museum's collection of cuneiform documents has been assembled over the years from a variety of sources. Many of the Sumerian royal inscriptions are from Sir Leonard Woolley's excavations at Ur (1922–34); most of the Assyrian material is derived from R. Campbell Thompson's excavations at Nineveh (1927–32), and the excavations of Sir Max Mallowan at Nimrud (1949–63). Where known, excavation numbers are given in the catalogue. The rest of the collection has been bought from dealers in antiquities or acquired from private collections.

The twenty-four texts which form the latter part of this article are published by kind permission of Mr. John Ruffle, Keeper of Archaeology at the Birmingham City Museum, whom I wish to thank for the help and encouragement he and the staff of the Department of Archaeology have extended to me. I am deeply indebted to the generosity of Professor W. G. Lambert who has given so liberally of his time, advice and learning. Further thanks are due to Dr. Edmond Sollberger for comments on many of the Sumerian texts, and to Professor F. R. Kraus for his suggestions concerning the Old Babylonian letter (48).