Copper price: ~$9,400/tonne ◆ The complaint tablet is ~3,774 years old ◆ Global copper demand to double by 2040 ◆ Nanni is still waiting for his refund ◆ EVs use 4× more copper than combustion engines ◆ Cyprus gave copper its name: aes Cyprium → cuprum → Cu ◆ Copper kills 99.9% of bacteria within 2 hours ◆ The average home contains ~200 kg of copper ◆ Ea-Nasir: history's most famous bad merchant ◆ Copper price: ~$9,400/tonne ◆ The complaint tablet is ~3,774 years old ◆ Global copper demand to double by 2040 ◆ Nanni is still waiting for his refund ◆ EVs use 4× more copper than combustion engines ◆ Cyprus gave copper its name: aes Cyprium → cuprum → Cu ◆
1750
Est. circa 1750 BCE · Internet Famous circa 2015 CE

THE WORLD'S
WORSTMERCHANT

Ea-Nasir was a Bronze Age copper dealer from the ancient city of Ur. He delivered substandard metal, ignored complaints, and treated customers with contempt. He also became the internet's favourite ancient meme — and accidentally taught millions of people about copper, trade, and ancient history.

Read the Full Story → See the Tablet
3,774Years Since the Complaint
2+Angry Letters Surviving
0Refunds Ever Given
∞Memes Generated
Breaking Nanni still has not received his copper · The British Museum confirms the tablet is real · Copper is the world's third most used industrial metal · 80% of all copper ever mined is still in use
Featured Articles
How a Bronze Age Merchant Became the Internet's Favourite Ancient Villain
The Meme
How a Bronze Age Merchant Became the Internet's Favourite Ancient Villain

The complete story of the Ea-Nasir meme — 3,800 years of bad customer service.

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The Complaint Tablet — Fully Explained
Ancient Documents
The Complaint Tablet — Fully Explained

What the world's oldest consumer complaint actually says, and what it means.

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50 Copper Facts That Will Genuinely Surprise You
Copper Facts
50 Copper Facts That Will Genuinely Surprise You

Everything about copper you didn't know, from biology to economics to history.

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Copper by the Numbers

28MTonnes mined per yearGlobal annual copper production — up from near-zero in Ea-Nasir's era.
8,000Years of human useThe oldest copper artefact dates to ~6000 BCE — predating writing.
29Atomic numberSymbol: Cu. From Latin cuprum, from Kypros (Cyprus).
200kgIn an average homeWiring, plumbing, appliances — the modern home is full of copper.
The Meme Timeline
circa 1750 BCE
Nanni Sends the Complaint
A merchant named Nanni presses his fury into clay and sends it to Ea-Nasir. He is demanding his money back or proper copper. Ea-Nasir files it in his archive. Apparently without responding.
1953 CE
Archaeologists Discover the Archive
Excavations at the ancient city of Ur uncover a house containing clay tablet correspondence — including multiple complaint letters addressed to Ea-Nasir. The tablets are transported to the British Museum.
circa 2013–2015
Reddit Discovers Ea-Nasir
Images of the complaint tablet begin circulating on Reddit and Tumblr. The phrase 'Tell Ea-Nasir' enters internet vocabulary. Millions of posts follow.
2015–Present
The Meme Achieves Permanence
Ea-Nasir becomes a stable feature of internet culture — regularly rediscovered, reliably funny, and increasingly referenced in mainstream media and academic publications.
From the Archive
The Copper Industry in 2025
Modern Industry
The Copper Industry in 2025

From ancient trade to 28 million tonnes per year — how copper became the world's most important industrial metal.

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Why the Ea-Nasir Meme Works
Meme Theory
Why the Ea-Nasir Meme Works

A genuine analysis of what makes a 3,800-year-old complaint about copper enduringly funny.

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The Bronze Age — When Copper Changed Everything
Ancient History
The Bronze Age — When Copper Changed Everything

How copper and tin transformed civilisation from 3300 to 1200 BCE.

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Did You Know? Copper Kills Bacteria.

Copper surfaces destroy 99.9% of bacteria within 2 hours — a property called the oligodynamic effect. Hospitals are increasingly installing copper surfaces for infection control. Ea-Nasir was ahead of the curve. (He just delivered the wrong grade.)

2hrTo kill 99.9% bacteria on copper