A king's clay tablet collection became one of history's accidental backups.

The Library of Ashurbanipal preserved myths, medicine, omens, and statecraft because clay survives fire better than paper survives time.

The library is famous for preserving texts such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. It also shows how knowledge storage depends on material accidents. A burned palace can destroy a kingdom while preserving its archive, turning catastrophe into a time capsule.