Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · CBS 08842 + CBS 08891 + CBS 08892a + CBS 08892b — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
RIME 2.01.02.11, ex. 03
In plain English
For the god Enlil: Rimush, king of Kish, after defeating Elam and Paraḫšum, dedicated this vessel, taken from the spoils of Elam. The names of the god and of the king, and the final verb of dedication, have broken off this copy. They are restored here from the identical inscriptions on the other vessels.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. To 2. [Enlil], 3. [Rimush], 4. king 5. of Kish, 6. wh[en] 7. Elam 8. and 9. Paraḫšum 10. he had conquered, 11. from the booty 12. of Elam 13. [dedicated (this)].”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · high confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CBS 08856a + CBS 08867a — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
RIME 2.01.02.11, ex. 14
In plain English
For the god Enlil: Rimush, king of Kish, after he had conquered Elam and Paraḫšum, [dedicated this vessel] from the booty [of Elam]. The text we were given stops at the word 'booty'. The final words, naming the plunder and the act of dedication, are restored here only from the other known copies of this inscription.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [T]o 2. [the god] Enlil, 3. [Rī]muš, 4. king 5. of Kiš, 6. [when] 7. [Elam] 8. and 9. [Paraḫ]šum 10. he had [conqu]ered, 11. [from] the booty [......] (the supplied transliteration ends here)”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CBS 16106 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
RIME 2.01.05.10, ex. 01
In plain English
The front of the tablet reads: 'Šar-kali-šarri, the mighty, king of the subjects of Enlil.' The back explains where this came from. It is an impression taken from an ebony brick, described with a phrase whose meaning is unclear (*asarru palisūtim*). The brick stood in the palace of King Naram-Sin, in a part of it called the *asarru*, inside the city of Agade. The scribe Ag-še-numun-si-sa, probably to be read Nabû-zēru-līšir, saw it there and made this copy.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse (copy of the original inscription) 1. Šar-kali-šarri, 2. the mighty, 3. king 4. of the subjects 5. of Enlil. Reverse (colophon) 6. Impression of a baked brick of ebony, 7. of *asarru palisūtim*, 8. which in the palace, the *asarru*, 9. of Naram-Sin, the king, 10. inside Agade, 11. Ag-še-numun-si-sa (Nabû-zēru-līšir), the scribe, saw.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NYPLC 151 — New York Public Library, New York, New York, USA
RIME 2.13.06.01, ex. 07
In plain English
Dedicated to Nanše, the mighty lady and lady of In-dubba. I, Utu-ḫegal, king of the four quarters of the world, have given the borderland of Lagaš back into her keeping. The man of Ur had claimed that territory as his own.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. For the goddess Nanše, 2. the mighty lady, 3. lady of In-dubba, 4. Utu-ḫegal, 5. king of the four quarters, 6. the boundary of Lagaš, 7. (about which) the man of Ur 8. had raised a claim, 9. returned to her control.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · high confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NYPLC 177 — New York Public Library, New York, New York, USA
RIME 2.13.06.01, ex. 08
In plain English
Dedicated to the goddess Nanše, lady of the city and lady of Indubba. I, Utu-ḫegal, king of the four quarters of the world, have restored to her the border lands of Lagaš that the ruler of Ur had claimed as his own. Through this goddess, the territory is back in Lagaš's hands.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. For Nanše, 2. lady of the city, 3. lady of Indubba: 4. Utu-ḫegal, 5. king of the four quarters, 6–9. returned into her hand the boundary territory of Lagaš, which the man of Ur had claimed (lit. 'had placed a word upon').”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · high confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · ROM 967.287.071 — Royal Ontario Museum of Archaeology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
RIME 2.13.06.01, ex. 09
In plain English
Dedicated to Nanše, the exalted lady and mistress of the Indubba shrine. Utu-ḫegal, king of the four quarters of the world, gave the border territory of Lagaš back into her control. The man of Ur had laid claim to that land.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. For Nanše, 2. the lofty lady, 3. the lady of the Indubba: 4. Utu-ḫegal, 5. king of the four quarters, 6. the boundary territory of Lagaš, 7. (about which) the man of Ur 8. had raised a claim, 9. he returned to her control.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · high confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · KVM 32.1208 — Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
RIME 2.13.06.01, ex. add12
In plain English
Dedicated to the goddess Nanše, the mighty lady who watches over the borderlands. I, Utu-ḫegal, king of the four quarters of the world, settled a border dispute in her favour. The man of Ur had laid claim to the boundary land of Lagaš. I returned that land to the goddess's own keeping.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. For Nanše, 2. the mighty lady, 3. lady of the boundary territory, 4. Utu-ḫegal, 5. king of the four quarters — 6. the boundary territory of Lagaš, 7. (over which) the man of Ur 8. had raised a claim, 9. he returned into her hand.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · high confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · SM 1940.02.001 — Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
RIME 2.13.06.01, ex. add13
In plain English
Dedicated to Nanše, the august lady, lady of the In-dub-ba sanctuary. I, Utu-hegal, king of the four quarters of the world, have settled the matter of Lagaš's border. The man of Ur had laid claim to that territory, and I have given it back into the goddess's own hand.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. For Nanše, 2. the august lady, 3. lady of the In-dub-ba — 4. Utu-hegal, 5. king of the four quarters [of the world]: 6. the boundary of Lagaš[,] 7. (over which) the man of Ur 8. had raised a claim, 9. he returned into her hand.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry