Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · N 0056 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 131
In plain English
What survives says roughly this: two measures of tu-lu onions went to the man in charge of the sluice gate; the craftsman got something now lost; these were eaten. After a gap, the tablet lists garlic-type onions and crushed onions by the talent, then one talent of garlic-type onions and one talent of tu-lu onions for Puzur-Suen and Ur-Damu, the cupbearer. The last line refers to Enlil—probably his temple—but the beginning of it is broken, as is most of the first half of the tablet.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [...] 2 tu-lu₂-onions, the man of the kab₂-ku₅ (water-regulator) 2. the dub-nagar (craftsman) ... [...] 3. [con]sumed. 4. [...] 5. [... sikil]-onions, (by the) talent 6. [...] ... [...] 7. [...] crushed onions, (by the) talent 8. 1 talent of sikil-onions, 9. 1 talent of tu-lu₂-onions: 10. Puzur-Suen, 11. Ur-Damu, 12. the cupbearer. 13. [... En]lil.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · N 0579 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 139
In plain English
Two barig of barley (roughly 120 liters) went to Ur-Damu the scribe; he collected it when the governor set off for Agade. Another two barig went to Lugal-nammah, and one ban (about 10 liters) to a man whose name is lost, a soldier serving under the household overseer. All of it was taken out of the supplies held by Lugal-nig-baradu. The reason given at the end seems to be that a storm had wrecked the newly laid-out field — though the first entry's commodity and the exact sense of this last line are not fully preserved.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 2 barig [of barley(?)] — 2. Ur-Da[mu], 3. the scribe, 4.–5. received (it) on the occasion of the governor's journey to Agade. 6. 2 barig — Lugal-nammah. 7. 1 ban — [...], 8. the soldier of the overseer of the [household]. 9. From Lugal-nig-baradu 10. it was expended (withdrawn). 11.–12. Because the new field was carried off by the storm(?).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CBS 06266 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 143
In plain English
The opening lines are damaged, but they record some bundles of garlic for a scribe. Forty bundles of garlic went to Ur-Šubur the cupbearer. Another forty bundles were carried to the en-priest of Nanna by a courier whose name is lost. Finally, sixty bundles of crushed garlic — the amount on standing allocation to him — were issued by Lugal-ḫe-a-[...], whose full name is also broken off.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse (?) 1. [n bundles of garl]ic 2. [......] 3. [the scr]ibe. 4. 40 bundles of garlic: 5. Ur-Šubur, the cupbearer. 6. 40 bundles of garlic, 7. conveyed by (giri3) [PN], 8. to the en-priest of Nanna 9. were brought. 10. 60 bundles of crushed garlic, 11. his standing (allocated) amount; 12. Lugal-ḫe-a-[...] 13. [has] expended (them).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · UM 29-13-411 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 145
In plain English
The tablet lists batches of onions. One entry is a number of large lidga-measures of šum-sikil onions; another is crushed onions. Ur-Enkika the scribe handled them. Part of the issue was for someone whose name is lost, and for the governor's trip. A further lot of onions is noted as checked by measure. The next lines are too damaged to read beyond a word for 'house' and another mention of šum-sikil onions; the last line records yet another quantity of onions, but the end is broken.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [n lidga] of šum-sikil onions, 2. [...] crushed onions (šum-gaz); 3. [Ur-]Enkika, the scribe. 4. for [...]-kam; for the governor (ensi), for the journey (expedition). 5. [...]-ga-a-a. 6. [n ... onions], checked (by measure) (kab-ku5). 7. [...]-im(?) 8. [...] house/estate (e2). 9. [...] šum-sikil onions. 10. [n onions] ... tu lu2 (?).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · N 0552 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 146
In plain English
The start is lost. Someone brought a consignment, apparently for a man described as 'his shepherd'; Inim-mani is the official responsible. Then the entries: Lugal-kas-e, 60 bundles, overseen by He-sa; Lu-uzga, 40 bundles, overseen by Inim-mani; Ur-gu of Lu-lila, 20 bundles, overseen by He-sa. One more entry is broken, with Ur-tir as the responsible official. The totals: 960 bundles of crushed garlic, 2 barig (roughly 120 liters) of crushed garlic, and an unreadable number of bundles of sikil-onions.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Beginning destroyed) 1. [...] he brought (it) there. 2. [...] for? the man, his shepherd. 3. Inim-[mani?] (is) its commissioner. 4. 60? (bundles) — Lugal-kas-e; 5. He-sa (is) its commissioner. 6. 40 (bundles) — Lu-uzga; 7. Inim-mani (is) its commissioner. 8. 20 (bundles) — Ur-gu (of/for) Lu-lila; 9. [He]-sa (is) its commissioner. 10. [...] 11. [Ur]-tir (is) commissioner. 12. [Total:] 960 [bundles] of crushed(?) garlic; 13. total: 2 barig of crushed(?) garlic; 14. [total: n bundles of] sikil-onions.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · N 0401 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 147
In plain English
Two measures of garlic (the next words are unclear) went to Ur-Inanna, with E-da acting as the responsible officer. Three measures of garlic were checked out (the rest of the line is broken). Two talents' worth went to Dudu the cupbearer, with Ur-ni, the carpenter who works copper, as responsible officer. Two measures were checked out for He-sasa. Namu-dab received three ban (about 30 liters), and Nita the scribe received two barig (about 120 liters).
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 2 (gur) of garlic/onions ... ... 2. Ur-Inanna; 3. commissioner: E-da. 4. 3 (gur) of garlic/onions, measured (kab₂-ku₅) [...]; 5. 2 talents(?): Du-du, the cupbearer; 6. commissioner: Ur-ni(?), the carpenter (of) copper(?). 7. 2 (gur), measured (kab₂-ku₅): He-sa-sa. 8. 3 ban: Na-mu-dab. 9. 2 barig: Nita, the scribe.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CBS 06224 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 148
In plain English
Two gur of crushed onions [...]; Nam-zi was the official in charge. Two gur: Lugal-itida handed them over to E-tumal, the household overseer. Two gur from Ur-[...]; the next line, naming Lugal-gur, is damaged; Ug-IL, the son of the household overseer, was the official in charge. Three gur of onions from the sluice plot came from He-sasa, son of the smith Ur-Ninmada; E-da was the official in charge. The last entry begins with the name Lu-sa, and then the tablet breaks off.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 2 (gur) crushed onions [...] 2. Nam-zi (was) the commissioner (maškim). 3. 2 (gur): Lugal-itida 4. to E-tumal, 5. the household overseer, gave (it). 6. 2 (gur): Ur-[...] 7. [...] Lugal-gur [...] 8. Ug-IL, son of the household overseer, 9. (was) the commissioner. 10. 3 (gur) onions of the kab-ku (sluice-plot): 11. He-sa-[sa], 12. son of Ur-Nin[ma]da, the smith; 13. E-da (was) the commissioner. 14. Lu-sa [...] (rest broken)”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · N 0553 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 152
In plain English
This is a list of onion bundles tied to specific people. A certain number of bundles of šum-sikil onions went to KA-ku the scribe; 150 bundles to Nita-edina; 40 bundles of ordinary onions to Ur-šubur, who seems to be a cupbearer. Then come more entries whose numbers are lost: so many bundles of onions for another scribe, so many bundles of šum-sikil for yet another scribe, and ten-odd bundles of šum-sikil for someone whose name ends in -si. The top of the tablet and parts of several names are broken away.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [n bundles of š]um-sikil onions: 2. KA-ku, 3. the scribe. 4. [60] + 90 (= 150) bundles of šum-sikil onions: 5. Nita-edina. 6. 40 bundles of onions: 7. Ur-šubur(?), 8. the cupbearer(?). 9. [...] bundles of onions: 10. [...], the scribe. 11. [n bundles of š]um-sikil onions: 12. [...], the scribe. 13. 10 [+ n bundles of š]um-sikil onions: 14. [...]-si.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry