> However, this was not really a problem since the spacing of the characters allowed one to tell the difference.<p>There's less difference between theory and practice in theory, than there is in practice.<p>How often did the confusion happen, or happens today when interpreting cuneiform? I imagine that confusion didn't matter much to the Babylonians, just like the "Year 1900" problem didn't exist in 1900. People could just take care of the confusion. But Ea-Nasir is long dead, so we can't go ask if he sent the 9 more copper ingots Nanni that paid for.