A team from the University of Hamburg has developed a portable scanner that has allowed researchers to examine sealed cuneiform tablets dating back thousands of years. For three weeks, they scanned texts from Neo-Mesopotamia, unveiling correspondence that reveals insights into the daily lives, trade, and governance of ancient civilizations. Among the discoveries is a 60-line letter recounting a legal dispute, showcasing the complexities of interpersonal relationships in ancient Assyria. This advancement in archaeological methods opens new avenues for understanding the rich history of Mesopotamia, with an estimated one million tablets still in existence today.