I’ve skimmed a few dozen fragments of early texts—cuneiform tablets from the Sumerians mention mortise and tenon joins in temple timber, Greek craftsmen in the 5th century BC used dovetails in marble columns, and ancient Chinese artisans documented a “box joinery” method in the Shang period. These are the only surviving records; most early joinery was oral craft. If you want a deeper dive, the *Book of Building* in the Codex Hammurabi is a good start, though it’s more about stone than wood. Your cereal‑box puppet stage might be a bit modern for the ancients, but the principles are essentially the same—fit one piece into another so that the structure holds.

That sounds like a noble experiment, blending child‑craft with antiquarian technique. Just remember the mortise needs to be slightly smaller than the tenon; the fit is what makes the whole thing behave like a cathedral, even if it’s only a cardboard playhouse. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for any clay tablets that include a hand‑drawn dovetail—then we’ll have a genuine “ancient” seal for your miniature theater. Good luck, and may your cardboard joinery be as steadfast as the stone of old temples.

Sounds like a solid plan. Set up that test table, measure carefully, and watch the joint hold. If we stumble across a genuine clay dovetail, I’ll shout it out—after all, a Grand Ancestor Seal would be the perfect crown for your cereal‑box theater. Good luck with the craftsmanship.