Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 023 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 027
In plain English
The surviving part of this tablet is a worker tally. It records small numbers of women assigned to grinding grain, one extra male worker, then a large group of 274 women, another batch of 30 women grinders, and 20 men. After a break, the text lists 67 more women who were sick — and a note specifies that these sick workers were not included in the official count. The beginning of the tablet is lost, so we don't know the full context or total sums that likely once framed this list.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[...] [n+]1 female workers (geme₂), grinders (ar₃) extra man (lu₂-diri) 274 female workers (geme₂) [n+]30 female workers (geme₂), grinders (ar₃) 20 male workers (gurusz) [...] 67 female workers (geme₂), sick (tu-ra), not counted (nu-szid).”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 039 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 028
In plain English
A list of work crews and their foremen. Ur-lu the shepherd has 11 men. Ur-lu of Atie has 14. Ur-lu of the mill-house has 11. Il of Lugal-dingir's group has 11. Ur-Šubur, the master builder, has 15. These are the men taken into service. A further 11 men are under Lugal-e'a-something, and 30 are under someone whose name begins Su-; the rest of both names is broken off.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse col. i 1. 11 men: 2. Ur-lu, the shepherd; 3. 14: Ur-lu, 4. (of) Atie; 5. 11: Ur-lu, 6. (of) the mill-house; 7. 11: Il, 8. (of) Lugal-dingir; col. ii 9. 15: [Ur]-Šubur, 10. the master builder; 11. men taken in ch[arge]. 12. 11: Lugal-e'a-[...]; 13. 30: Su-[...]”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-01/v9-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 017 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 033
In plain English
Land register: one parcel of just under 2 bur, drawn from the estate. Ur-nu holds 2 bur 4 iku. Mezu holds a parcel ending in 3 iku, but its first figures cannot be read. Two entries are lost. Titu holds 2 bur 2 iku, Zamu just under 2 bur, and the man of Tibira 1 bur 5 iku. A further 1 barig is drawn from the estate. Another entry for Ur-nu follows, but its amount is lost. The last entries survive only as the end of a name in '-tu'.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“2 bur [minus] 3 iku of [fi]eld: from the house (estate). 2 bur 4 iku: Ur-nu. n n 3 iku: Mezu. [...] [...] 2 bur 2 iku: Titu. 2 bur minus 2 iku: Zamu. 1 bur 5 iku: the man of Tibira. 1 barig: from the house (estate). [...]: [U]r-nu. [...] [...]-[t]u.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-01/v9-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 028 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 035
In plain English
Six bur of land, known as Gula'a's field, are set aside for growing flax and handed over to a worker. Five bur of land, known as Uduka's field, are set aside for dike-work and likewise handed over. The note ends with two names, Hul-ikal and Hezu.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 6 bur3 of field: 2. field of Gula'a, 3. field for flax-cultivation; given to the man(?). 4. 5 bur3 of field: 5. field of Uduka, 6. field for dike-work; 7. given to the man(?). 8. Hul-ikal. 9. Hezu.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-01/v9-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 040 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 036
In plain English
Received: one ram from Sisa, son of Lulu, an elder of the city. One animal from Ur-ag, who belongs to Adagal. One male lamb from Ur-pisan, a man from Zabala. One billy-goat from Ur-ki, the chief farmer. All four animals are customary dues-gifts. Recorded in the month of Mu-tir. Bēlī-ṭāb.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 ram: Sisa, son of Lulu, elder of the city. 1 (ram): Ur-ag, he is a man of Adagal. 1 male lamb: Ur-pisan, man of Zabala. 1 billy-goat: Ur-ki, the chief farmer. These are mašdaria-contributions. Month: Mu-tir. Bēlī-ṭāb.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-01/v9-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 2, 055 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 044
In plain English
Received: 146 goat skins, from nanny-goats and another class of goat. Of these, 26 are spoiled. The skins have been returned and are on the goatherds' account. The goatherds owe no skins: the count is complete. Recorded in the month of the sheep-plucking house.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 146 skins: skins of nanny-goats (and) skins of LAK020 (goats); 2. among them, 26 skins are spoiled. 3. The skins were returned; 4. they are (the responsibility) of the goatherds. 5. There is no deficit in skins. 6. Month: Ga-udu-ur ("house where sheep are plucked").”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-01/v9-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 160 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 045
In plain English
Five woollen cloaks of weaver's quality, assigned to the chariot of the E-UMBIN×LU (with the figure 4 noted), were collected by Ra'isin, the general. The cloaks are recorded as an outgoing expense of the wool office. Dated to the month Še-sag-ku, the month of the barley harvest.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“5 bar-dul₅-garments, (of) weaver (quality), (for) the chariot (of) the E-UMBIN×LU, 4 (units). Ra'isin, the general (šagina), has taken (them). Garments booked out (as expenditure); it is from the wool office. Month: Še-sag-ku.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-01/v9-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 029 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 047
In plain English
Ur-nu has handed over 300 gur of barley, a very large quantity of grain, to the merchant. The delivery went through Gen-na. Ur-nu is listed as overseer of a household whose name is broken, and a further house, apparently that of the goddess Ninmug, is mentioned, though the rest of that line is lost. The transaction took place in the harvest month, while Di-Utu was captain, in the year Umma was destroyed.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 300 (5 × 60) gur of barley, 2–4. Ur-nu has given to the merchant. 5. Via Gen-na; 6–7. Ur-nu, overseer of the house of [...]; 8. house of [Nin]mug(?) ... [...]. 9. Month: Še-sag-[kud] ("Harvest"), 10–11. Di-Utu (being) captain. Reverse 12–13. Year: Umma was destroyed.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-01/v9-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry