CUSAS 35, 207

~2400 BCE·Early Dynastic·P252873

Translation — curated editorial

Editorial

Experimental

Editorial entry — translation cited from: CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P252873.

Translation · AI engine

read from photo

Medium confidence

21 minas of copper — Az (|ZA.PIRIG|), the captain (nu-banda3); 20½ [minas] — Lugal-hul; 10½ [minas] — Lugal-nig-bara-du; 4 [minas] — Lugal-ezem, the cook (muhaldim); 3½ [minas] — Ama-ab-zu-si; 3 [minas] — E-ki. Copper, issued from the storehouse (an-ta-e3-am3). Inim-zida — (is) the responsible official (maszkim-bi).

7 uncertain terms ↓

uruda ma-na — 'Copper minas' — uruda is the standard Sumerian word for copper/bronze; ma-na is the mina (ca. 500g). The commodity is clearly copper weighed in minas, though in some Early Dynastic contexts uruda can encompass bronze alloys.
az (|ZA.PIRIG|) — The sign combination |ZA.PIRIG| is read 'az' here as a personal name element. The reading and the precise phonetic value of this compound sign in Early Dynastic personal names remains debated in the literature.
nu-banda3 — Standard rendering 'captain' or 'military officer'; also translated 'overseer' or 'superintendent' in some administrative contexts. The precise hierarchical rank relative to other officers varies by period and institution.
lugal-nig2-bara4-du10 — Personal name meaning approximately 'the king / the good throne-dais goes forth.' The element bara4 (throne-dais/cultic platform) makes this a theophoric or honorific name; interpretation as a personal name is secure.
an-ta-e3-am3 — Literally 'it is that which came out from above/the upper [place].' Standardly interpreted as an issue from an elevated storehouse or from the main institutional store. The precise architectural or administrative referent is uncertain.
maszkim-bi — 'Its maszkim' — the maszkim is a supervisory/responsible official, sometimes translated 'bailiff,' 'commissioner,' or 'agent.' The -bi suffix ('its') indicates this person is the official responsible for this specific transaction.
inim-zi-da — Personal name meaning 'true/righteous word' or 'good command.' Securely a personal name; functions here as the named responsible official (maszkim) for the disbursement.

Reasoning ↓

The photograph shows a well-preserved, lentil-shaped tablet of the Early Dynastic type, approximately 5–6 cm wide based on the ruler visible in the image. The obverse displays six clearly ruled horizontal lines dividing entries into two columns, consistent with the columnar layout implied by the transliteration. Wedge impressions are crisp and legible in the central image: the large curved numeral signs (u@c, asz@c) are visible in the left column, and personal name elements and title signs are visible in the right column, broadly confirming the transliteration. The top edge shows additional signs consistent with the header line. The reverse (bottom large image) appears largely uninscribed, which is normal for short administrative tablets of this type. The left edge shows a few signs that correspond to the edge/case notation visible in the transliteration. I cannot verify with full confidence every individual sign — particularly the personal names Lugal-hul2, Lugal-nig2-bara4-du10, Ama-ab-zu-si, and E-ki — at the resolution provided, but no clear discrepancy between photo and transliteration is visible. The phrase 'an-ta-e3-am3' (lit. 'that which came out from above/the upper [storehouse]') is a standard Early Dynastic Sumerian formula for goods issued from storage. 'Nu-banda3' is the standard Early Dynastic title for a military/administrative officer, here rendered 'captain.' 'Maszkim' is the well-attested term for a supervisory or responsible official in Ur III and earlier administrative contexts.

Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · prompt 2026-05-12/v4-interpretation · May 16, 2026 · 2343 in / 1255 out tokens

Transliteration

2(u@c) 1(asz@c) uruda ma-na
az(|ZA.PIRIG|) nu-banda3
2(u@c) 1/2(disz@c) lugal-hul2
1(u@c) 1/2(disz@c) lugal-nig2-bara4-du10
4(asz@c) lugal-ezem muhaldim
3(asz@c) 1/2(disz@c) ama-ab-zu-si
3(asz@c) e-ki
uruda an-ta-e3-am3
inim-zi-da
maszkim-bi

Scholarly note

Catalogue entry from CDLI (ED IIIb (ca. 2500-2340 BC) ?) — CUSAS 35, 207. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).

Attribution

Image: Schøyen Collection, Oslo, Norway (P252873) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. source
Translation excerpted from CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P252873..

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