Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · ROM 967.287.032 — Royal Ontario Museum of Archaeology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ROM 967.287.032
In plain English
Issued: one gurgur-jar of barley beer holding one barig, thirty ordinary loaves baked from one ban of flour at thirty to the ban, and three fine 'head' loaves baked from one ban at twenty to the ban. Nabi-Abzu, the king's weapon-bearer, received these supplies when he set out for Girsu. Ur-gara, acting on the governor's authority, was the official in charge of the issue. Dated year 5, month 6.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 gurgur-vessel of barley-beer, (measured at) 1 barig; 2. 30 u-loaves of bread, (from) 1 ban of flour, baked at 30 (per ban); 3. 3 'head'-loaves (sag-ninda), (from) 1 ban, baked at 20 (per ban): 4. Nabi-Abzu, the king's weapon-bearer, 5. going to Girsu, 6. (when) he went, 7. received (it). 8. Ur-gara, (by) the conveyance of the governor, 9. (was) its commissioner. 10. Year 5, month 6.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 02699 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
RTC 077
In plain English
Re: one black pig belonging to Lu-Baba, the captain from Lagash. The king says this to Lugal-ušumgal: the people who are sick have held it up. He is to take it.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 1 black pig 2. (of) the captain Lu-Baba 3. of Lagash. 4. Thus (says) 5. the king Bottom edge 6. to Lugal-ušumgal: Reverse 7. Those (who are) in sickness 8. have delayed (it). 9. Let him take (it)!”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 02693 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
RTC 079
In plain English
Fifteen shekels of silver is the price paid for one person, Lugal-ibi. Lugal-ušumgal, the governor, weighed out the silver, and Ana-sa received it. The sale was finalized with the customary ceremony of passing over the wooden stick. The witnesses were Amar-[...], a second man whose name is lost, and a shepherd whose name is also broken away.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 15 shekels of [silver], 2. is the price of 1 (person), Lugal-ibi. 3. Lugal-ušumgal, 4. the governor (ensi), 5. weighed (it) out. 6. 1 (person), Ana-sa, 7. received (it). 8. The wood [was passed over]. 9. 1 (person), Amar-[...]; 10. 1 (person), [...]; 11. the shepherd [...]: 12. [these are] its witnesses.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 02688 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
RTC 086
In plain English
The opening lines are broken, but they list livestock, including sheep. The animals have been counted and are on hand. The king has known about this account for two years. The note is dated to the year King Naram-Sin laid the foundations of Enlil's temple in Nippur and of Inanna's temple in Zabalam.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Beginning of lines 1–4 broken) 1. [...] x 2. [...] ... x 3. [...] sheep 4. [...] x-a 5. ... counted (into the account) 6. are on hand (there). 7. The king — for 2 years — 8. knows its content. 9. In the year 10. Naram-Sin 11. the foundations of the temple of Enlil 12. in Nippur 13. and of the temple of Inanna 14. [in] Zabala(m) 15. [laid].”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 02684 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
RTC 087
In plain English
Dated to the year King Šar-kali-šarri laid the foundations of Enlil's temple in Nippur. A further line begins with 'iš-ku-', perhaps a repeat of the verb 'laid', and the lines after it survive only as scattered syllables (ga-..., ...-unu, ...-pi). They are too fragmentary to read as connected text.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. In the year (when) 2. Šar-kali-šarri 3. the foundation of the temple of Enlil 4. [in] Nippur 5. [laid] — 6. iš-ku-[......] 7. ga-[......] 8. [......]-unu 9. [......]-pi”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 31330 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
RTC 094
In plain English
One man, Ib-[...], a servant of Prince Bin-kali-šarri, and one man, Ur-abu, who belongs to Lugal-x, are listed here. The next two entries are too damaged to read beyond a few signs. On the back the scribe notes that these men were brought in.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 1 (man): Ib-[...], 2. servant of Bin-kali-šarri; 3. 1 (man): Ur-abu, 4. man of Lugal-x; 5. [...] ... ; 6. [...] ... Reverse 7. They were brought (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 · AO 02687 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
RTC 097
In plain English
Ur-Ninsun, Ur-Meme and Zamu serve under the foreman Lugal-sal. Another fourteen workmen, apparently soldiers, belong to King Shar-kali-sharri. That makes seventeen workmen in all, under the captain En-irina. Two more men, Ur-nig and Ur-Ninmuda, are listed as being with them, also under the foreman Lugal-sal.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. Ur-Ninsun, 2. 1 Ur-Meme, 3. 1 Zamu: 4. foreman: Lugal-sal. 5. 14 workmen, 6. soldiers(?), 7. they are (men) of Shar-kali-sharri. Reverse 8. Total: 20 minus 3 (= 17) workmen; 9. captain: En-irina. 10. 1 Ur-nig, 11. Ur-Ninmuda: 12. (they are) with (him/them); 13. foreman: Lugal-sal.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 31225 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
RTC 103
In plain English
The opening entries are damaged: one item, one talent of something, and a person whose name begins Nin-. Then come the readable allocations: one talent of second-quality wool to Lugal-itida, further talents to Šuna and to Ur-nig, and more lots of wool, including second-quality wool, whose amounts are lost. Sealed receipts were made for all of it. The wool was issued from the cupbearer's storehouse. The note at the end mentions the governor and Agade.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Line numbers follow the order of the supplied transliteration; it gives no obverse/reverse division.) 1. 1 [...] 2. 1 talent [...] 3. Nin-[...]; 4. 1 talent of second-quality wool: Lugal-itida; 5. [...] talent(s): Šuna; 6. [...] talent(s): Ur-nig; 7. [...] ... wool; 8. [...] second-quality wool; 9. [...] its sealed document(s). 10. From the house of the cupbearer 11. issued (went out). 12. The governor, Agade.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry