Firing temperature determination and thermoluminescence dating of a brick with cuneiform characters found in the ruins of Ancient Babylon

This paper aims to study a brick with inscriptions in cuneiform characters in which the sentences are almost complete. Typological studies in agreement with historical records suggest that the tablet was manufactured in the 6th century BCE during the dynasty of Nebuchadnezzar II, Great King of Babylon. The sample was studied by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), thermoluminescence (TL), and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) techniques. The results showed that the brick is 2350 years old (± 40) and its firing temperature was lower than 400 °C.