Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · N 0371 + N 0603 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 153
In plain English
The top of the tablet is gone. What survives is an onion account: some quantity of crushed onions; 90 liters of the fine 'sikil' onions; onions set aside for a trip; 180 liters of another type for Lugal-GAN2-zi. Then a running allowance — 120 liters of onions per month, from the 'brick-moulding' month through the month Ku-ŠIM — as regular provisions, which someone (name lost) used up. A line about 'gamgam' onions is damaged. Finally, 40 liters of crushed onions and 60 liters of sikil-onions were taken out, and the whole lot was booked as issued from the stock of Lugal-nigbedu.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Beginning destroyed) 1. [...] onions, [crushed], 2. 1 barig 3 ban of sikil-onions (= 90 sila), 3. onions for the journey; 4. 3 barig of [...]-onions, 5. (for) Lugal-GAN2-[zi]; 6. [onions] at 2 barig each (per month), 7. from the [month 'bricks] placed in the mould' 8. to the [month] 'Ku-ŠIM', 9. for the regular provisions, 10. [...] consumed. 11. [...] gamgam-onions; 12. 4 ban of crushed onions, 1 barig of sikil-onions: 13. he took (them). 14. From Lugal-[nig-bedu] 15. it was expended.”
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 0282 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 155
In plain English
This is a list of onion (or garlic) allotments. Aga-kiag gets 1 gur and 2 barig, measured in the big lidga unit; Dada gets 1 gur; Ur-tir, son of E-ku, gets 2 barig; and E-geš, the man of U-..., also gets 2 barig. The next three entries are too damaged to read. Then Namu-dab receives 2 ban, and KA-ku, son of U-muni-zal, receives an amount whose figure is lost. All of it was drawn out of the supplies held by Lugal-nigbedu.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 (gur) 2 barig of onions/garlic, (in the) lidga (measure): 2. Aga-kiag. 3. 1 (gur): Dada. 4. 2 barig: Ur-tir, 5. son of E-ku. 6. 2 barig: E-geš, the man of U-[...]. 7. [...]-x-ḫa-[...] 8. [...]-x-[...] 9. [...]-en-[...] 10. 2 ban: [Na]mu-[dab]. 11. [n]: KA-ku, 12. son of U-muni-[zal]. 13. From Lugal-nigbedu 14. it was withdrawn.”
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 0273 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 157
In plain English
Three units of garlic, checked and measured, go to KA-ku the scribe. Two units go to A-Enlil-ta, and one to Sag-abtuku-a. A further recipient whose name ends in -Enlil-la is listed, and then a broken line that seems to sum up the group ("they are ..."). The whole lot was issued from the stock of Lugal-nigbe-du and booked out of his account.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 3 (units of) garlic, kab-ku (measured/checked), 2. (for) KA-ku, the scribe; 3. 2 (units) — A-Enlil-ta; 4. 1 (unit) — Sag-abtuku-a; 5. [... En]lil-la; 6. [...] ... they are. 7. From Lugal-nigbe-du 8. it was expended (booked out).”
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 06245 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 160
In plain English
Garlic disbursement. Six hundred bundles went to the en-priest. Nin-...-ga received 210, Du-du got 120, and a second Du-du, the son of Ur-gula, got 60. The man attached to the uzga shrine received 30, and Inimanizi, who serves under the gendarme Ur-..., received 60. All of this was drawn from the stock managed by Lugal-nigbedu. (The total, if the broken figure is correctly restored, comes to 1,080 bundles.)
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 600 [bundles] of garlic: 2. the en(-priest); 3. [60] + 120 + 30 (= 210): Nin-[...]-ga; 4. 120: Du-du; 5. 60: Du-du, 6. son of Ur-gula; 7. 30: the man of the uzga; 8. 60: Inim-ma-[ni]-zi, 9. the gendarme of Ur-[...]. 10. From Lugal-[nig-be-du] 11. (it) was withdrawn.”
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 0583 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 161
In plain English
Four measures of garlic for Kabku and Atu. Three measures for Lu-saga. Six measures of something now lost, connected with Agade — the rest of that entry is broken. Two more measures, probably again for Lu-saga, issued when he travelled to a place whose name is damaged. All of this has been paid out and written off the books.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 4 (gur) of garlic — Kabku, 2. Atu; 3. 3 (gur) — Lu-saga; 4. 6 [......] 5. Agade [......]; 6. 2 (gur) — Lu-saga(?), 7. (when) he went to ...; 8. it has been expended.”
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 06250 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 162
In plain English
The top of the tablet is broken, so the first entries are lost. What remains reads like a distribution list for onions: a quantity (now lost) went to Ur-Damu, son of Enlil-la; 1 barig and 2 ban — roughly 80 liters — went for the boat of U-zalla, and the household overseer took charge of it; 3 ban (about 30 liters) went to Lugal-engar-du, the butcher; and 2 ban (about 20 liters) went to Dalla, son of Lugal-kigalla. A final entry, mostly broken, records more onions in connection with a sluice or measuring-weir. The rest is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [......] x-mu-[......] 2. [...] onions: Ur-Damu, 3. [son of] Enlil-la. 4. 1 barig 2 ban of onions: the boat of U-zalla; 5. the overseer of the household took (it) over. 6. 3 ban of onions: Lugal-engar-du, 7. the butcher. 8. 2 ban of onions: Dalla, 9. son of Lugal-kigalla. 10. [...] onions: the sluice/measuring-weir x [......]”
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 06253 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 163
In plain English
This is a short ration list for garlic (or onions). It names a series of people receiving bundles — Nita-edina, En-sa, an overseer of the household, E-nam, An-en-..., En-nilu, Ku-sa and others — with one entry of twenty bundles, one of one, and one of two still legible; most of the other figures are broken away. The bottom line sums it up: fourteen units of garlic, counted as thirty bundles in all, assigned under Kabku and issued from the stock of a person called Nin-... The left side of nearly every line is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Nita-edin[a] 2. [...] En-sa 3. [...] overseer of the house(hold) 4. [...] E-nam 5. 20 bundles of garlic 6. An-en-[...] 7. [...] 1 (bundle?) [En]-nilu(?) 8. [...] Ku-sa(?) 9. [...] E-[...] 10. [...] 2 (bundles?) En-an-[...] 11. the man of AN-pa [...] 12. Total: 14 (units) of garlic, (of/for) Kabku; 30 bundles. 13. From Nin-[...].”
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 0584 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 165
In plain English
Dudu, the orchard manager, receives 3 units and 2 ban of what appears to be onions, measured in lidga. Ur-ki gets 1 unit and 2 barig, Ur-Inanna 4 units and 2 barig, and Ur-Dumuzida 4 units. The total is 17 units and 4 ban, though the opening of the total line is broken. All of it was drawn from the holdings of Lugal-nigbe-du. A further 5 units are noted separately for Mes-e.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“3 (units) 2 ban [of onions], (by the) [lid]ga(-measure): Dudu(?), the orchard administrator; 1 (unit) 2 barig: Ur-ki; 4 (units) 2 barig: Ur-Inanna; 4 (units, counted with the variant aš-sign): Ur-Dumuzida. [Total: n] 20 minus 3 (units) 4 ban, [from] Lugal-nigbe-du; withdrawn (disbursed). 5 (units, counted with the variant aš-sign): Mes-e.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry