In ancient Mesopotamia (3500-3000 BCE), what innovative retail tracking system did merchants develop that is considered a precursor to modern inventory management?

Step back in time to explore the fascinating retail operations of ancient civilizations! Before modern shopping malls and e-commerce, ancient societies developed sophisticated systems for trade, commerce, and product distribution. Their innovative approaches to retail shaped economies and cultural exchange for millennia. This trivia question focuses on an interesting retail practice from ancient Mesopotamia that revolutionized how goods were sold and tracked in the cradle of civilization.

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Clay tablets with cuneiform markings that recorded transactions and inventory
Knotted rope systems that merchants used to count and track their goods
Color-coded ceramic tokens that represented different product categories
Stamped leather scrolls that served as the first product catalogs