Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · ROM 967.287.070 — Royal Ontario Museum of Archaeology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
RIME 2.13.06.03, ex. 08
In plain English
Dedicated to Ningirsu, the mighty warrior of the god Enlil. Utu-hegal, king of the four corners of the world, has handed the borderland of Lagaš back to Ningirsu's control. The ruler of Ur had laid claim to that boundary, but the king settled the dispute in the god's favour.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“For Ningirsu, mighty hero of Enlil: Utu-hegal, king of the four quarters, the boundary of Lagaš, (over which) the man of Ur had raised a claim, returned it into his (Ningirsu's) 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 · FLP 2634.01 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
RIME 2.13.06.03, ex. 09
In plain English
Dedicated to Ningirsu, the mighty warrior of the god Enlil. Utu-hegal, king of the four corners of the world, restored to Ningirsu's control the frontier land of Lagaš, which the ruler of Ur had claimed for himself.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. For Ningirsu, 2. mighty hero 3. of Enlil, 4. Utu-hegal, 5. king of the four quarters, 6. the boundary territory of Lagaš, 7. (concerning which) the man of Ur 8. had laid claim, 9. he returned to his (Ningirsu's) 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 · FLP 2634.03 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
RIME 2.13.06.03, ex. 11
In plain English
Dedicated to Ningirsu, the mighty warrior of the god Enlil. I, Utu-ḫegal, king of the four corners of the world, have settled the dispute over the border lands of Lagaš. The ruler of Ur had laid claim to them, but I have handed them back into Ningirsu's possession.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. For Ningirsu, 2. mighty hero 3. of Enlil, 4. Utu-ḫegal, 5. king of the four quarters — 6. the border territory of Lagaš, 7. (over which) the man of Ur 8. had raised a claim, 9. he returned into his (Ningirsu's) 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 · FLP 2634.04 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
RIME 2.13.06.03, ex. 12
In plain English
Dedicated to Ningirsu, Enlil's mighty warrior. I, Utu-hegal, king of the four corners of the world, have given the border territory of Lagaš back into Ningirsu's control. The ruler of Ur had laid claim to that land.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 For Ningirsu, 2 mighty hero 3 of Enlil, 4 Utu-hegal, 5 king of the four quarters, 6–8 the boundary of Lagaš, about which the man of Ur 8 had raised a claim — 9 he returned it into his (Ningirsu's) hands.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · high confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FLP 2634.05 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
RIME 2.13.06.03, ex. 13
In plain English
Dedicated to Ningirsu, the mighty warrior of the god Enlil, by Utu-hegal, king of the four quarters of the world. The ruler of Ur had laid claim to the border territory of Lagaš. Utu-hegal has rejected that claim and given the land back into Ningirsu's control.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“For Ningirsu, mighty warrior of Enlil, [Utu-he]gal, king of the four quarters, — the boundary territory of Lagaš, (about which) the man of Ur had raised a claim — he returned it to his (Ningirsu's) 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 · FLP 2634.06 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
RIME 2.13.06.03, ex. 14
In plain English
Dedicated to Ningirsu, the mighty hero of Enlil. Utu-ḫegal, king of the four corners of the world, settled the matter of the Lagaš border. The man from Ur had laid claim to it, but Utu-ḫegal gave the territory back into Ningirsu's hands.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. For Ningirsu, 2. mighty hero 3. of Enlil, 4. Utu-ḫegal, 5. king of the four quarters, 6. (concerning) the boundary of Lagaš, 7. [(for which)] the man of Ur 8. had raised a [claim] — 9. he returned (it) to his (Ningirsu's) hands.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · high confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FLP 2634.07 — Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
RIME 2.13.06.03, ex. 15
In plain English
Dedicated to Ningirsu, the mighty warrior of the god Enlil. The ruler of Ur had laid claim to the border territory of Lagaš. Utu-hegal, king of the four corners of the world, put that land back in Ningirsu's hands.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. For Ningirsu, 2. mighty hero 3. of Enlil: 4. Utu-hegal, 5. king of the four quarters — 6. the boundary of Lagaš, 7. (over which) the man of Ur 8. had raised a claim, 9. he returned to his (Ningirsu's) 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 · MAG 54.58.17a — Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
Rochester 246
In plain English
Inventory of copper on hand: 3 talents 40 minas of 'dibla' metal; 2 talents 11 minas of 'saḫum'; 3 talents minus 12 minas of 'agug'; 2 talents 39 minas of copper, apparently earmarked for the 'geširi'; and 18 talents 2 minas of raw copper ore. The last line labels the whole as copper 'šudu' held in the Ešlam. Several of these technical terms for kinds of copper can no longer be pinned down exactly.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 3 talents 40 minas of dibla (mes?); 2. 2 talents 11 minas of saḫum; 3. 3 talents less 12 minas of agug; 4. 2 talents 39 (lit. 40 less 1) minas of copper, x (for?) the geširi; 5. 18 talents 2 minas of copper ore (lit. 'stone of copper'); 6. šudu of copper, in the Ešlam.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry