Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · N 0405 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 166
In plain English
Running total: 58 gur, 1 barig and 2 ban of onions, measured by the lidga standard. That is the grand total of onions placed in storage. Out of that stock, 36 gur, 4 ban and 5 sila of onions, by the same measure, have been issued and deducted. Dated to the year of the wall of Agade.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Total: 58 (gur) 1 barig 2 ban of onions, (by the) lidga(-measure); 2. grand total: 3. it is (the) onions deposited (in store). 4. Therefrom: 5. 36 (gur) 4 ban 5 sila of onions, (by the) lidga(-measure), 6. were booked out (expended) from it. 7. Year: (the) wall of Agade.”
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 0400 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 167
In plain English
Five lidga of garlic went to Ur-teš the courier, for Kalamba; it was issued to him. Another two lidga of garlic went to Ur-teš the courier, this being his second allocation. Two barig of garlic went to KA-kù the scribe. Two barig of šum-sikil onions and one barig of crushed garlic went to Sag-dingir-tuku for his trip to Agade, to be used at daybreak; it was issued to him. All of this was debited from the stock held by Lugal-nig-be-du.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 5 lidga of garlic, 2. (for) Ur-teš, the courier (sukkal), 3. for Kalamba — 4. was given to him. 5. 2 lidga of garlic, 6. (for) Ur-teš, the courier, 7. for the second time. 8. 2 barig of garlic: KA-kù, 9. the scribe. 10. 2 barig of šum-sikil onions, 1 barig of crushed garlic: 11. Sag-dingir-tuku, 12. for (the journey to) Agade, 13. for daybreak — 14. was given to him. 15. From (the account of) Lugal-nig-be-du it was withdrawn.”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 0587 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 168
In plain English
The top of the record is gone. What survives is a list of handouts: a son of the chief cupbearer received something now lost; Aba-Enlil got 2 barig of barley; someone received 30 bundles of onions on strings; Dada, son of Lugal-ša, got 4 ban of sikil-onions, with Dada himself named as the official in charge; another lost recipient, a son of Puzur-..., got 180 bundles of onions; Šu-ilīsu received 4 ban and Lu-girgilu 3 ban; a further entry of 6 or so items is too damaged to read. After a gap, the record ends by naming a man called ...-zi, the household overseer, presumably as the official who authorised the distribution.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[...] [...] son of the chief cupbearer (sagi-[gal]); 2 barig (barley): Aba-Enlil; 30 (bundles of) onions, [...] strings [...]; 4 ban (of) sikil-onions: Da[da], son of Lugal-[ša]; Dada [(was) the responsible official (maškim)]; 180 (bundles of) onions, [... strings]; [...] son of Puzur-[...]; 4 ban: Šu-ilī-[su]; 3 ban: Lu-girgi-[lu]; 6(?) ... [...] [...] [...]-zi, the overseer of the household (ugula-e2).”
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 0103 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 172
In plain English
The first entries are damaged: someone named Ur-[...] received a quantity (twenty-odd of something), and further lots of 180 and 300 units follow, their nature lost. Then the readable part: sixty strings of garlic were taken from the household stores, and two gur of garlic, verified against the official measure, were handed over to the agent of the household overseer, who signed for the receipt. The beginning and several middle lines are too broken to read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [...] 20 [...] 2. Ur-[...] 3. received. 4. 180 [...] ... ... ... 5. 300 [...] 6. [...] 7. 60 strings of [...] garlic, 8. from the house(hold): 9. 2 (gur) of garlic, checked (against the standard measure), 10. the man of the overseer of the house 11. received.”
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 0531 + N 0578 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 174
In plain English
Garlic, in lidga measures: 3 from Lu-sa; 2 and 1 barig from E-mes; 1, 2 barig and 2 ban from Ur-tir the porter; 2 barig from Lugal-uri, son of Mes-e; and 3 from Kabku, obtained from Gissu, with Ur-sa, son of Lugal-ennu, also listed. All together that comes to 8 lidga of garlic less 1 barig. He-sa took receipt of this garlic from Gal-sar.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 3 lidga of garlic: 2. Lu-sa; 3. 2 (lidga) 1 barig: E-mes; 4. 1 (lidga) 2 barig 2 ban: Ur-tir, 5. the porter; 6. 2 barig from Lugal-uri, 7. son of Mes-e; 8. 3 (lidga): Kabku, 9. from Gissu; 10. Ur-sa, 11. son of Lugal-ennu. 12. Total: 8 less 1 barig lidga of garlic. 13. From Gal-sar 14. He-sa 15. received (it).”
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 0556 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 175
In plain English
A hundred bundles of garlic were issued for the boat, in year one (or so the short note seems to say); they were released from stock. Separately, one barig (about 60 liters) of garlic went out, with Ur-šerda and KU-kuge as the parties named for it. Lugal-nig-be-du, brother of the chief administrator, served as the official responsible for the transaction.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 gešʾu 40 (= 100) bundles of garlic/onions, 2. (for) the boat; 1 (year?) — mu(?), 3. drawn out (disbursed). 4. 1 barig of garlic/onions: 5. Ur-šerda, 6. KU-kuge (Kù-kù-ge), 7. Lugal-nig-be-du, 8. brother of the šabra (chief administrator), 9. (was) the commissioner (maškim) for it.”
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 0350 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 176
In plain English
What survives is a list of onion deliveries. Someone's crushed onions are entered at the top, next to a name beginning with Enlil-. A line or two later the estate overseer appears, then an entry involving oil, then the workmen's gang. Then comes a clear item: one unit of crushed onions, measured and checked, credited to the courier Namu-dab. The last readable line mentions crushed onions once more. The edges of every line are broken away, so the quantities and most of the names are lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [...] crushed onion(s) [...] 2. [...] Enlil-[...] 3. ...-da-... 4. the overseer of the household [...] 5. oil [...] / i₃-[...] 6. man (of the) workmen [...] 7. 1 (unit of) crushed onion(s), checked by measure; 8. Namu-dab, the courier(?); 9. [...] crushed onion(s)”
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 0568 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 177
In plain English
An unknown quantity of onions came from Ur-kidma, and 2 barig (about 120 liters) came from Lugal-teshmu; Lugal-GAN-zi, the singer of the House of the Lady, took them. Then 180 bundles of crushed onions were taken by the merchant Lul-gu-ak, and another 180 bundles of crushed onions by a second merchant whose name is damaged, ending in '-esi'; the final line recording his withdrawal is lost but can be restored from the pattern. The beginning of the tablet is broken.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [......] onions, 2. from Ur-kidma; 3. 2 barig, from Lugal-teszmu — 4. Lugal-GAN2-zi, 5. the singer of the house of the Lady (E-nin), 6. took (them) away. 7. 180 (3 sixties) bundles of crushed onions: 8. Lul-gu-ak, 9. the merchant, took (them) away. 10. 180 (3 sixties) bundles of crushed onions: 11. ... [...]-esi, the merchant(?), 12. [took (them) away].”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry