Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 021 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 049
In plain English
Receipt: Ur-Enki, son of Lugal-tumma, and Aba-Enlil, son of Amar-Ašnan, have received a quantity of barley, a number of gur whose exact figure is partly lost, from the household of the temple administrator. The names Ur-Enlil, Ur-KID-GAM-na and Anna'ag follow, most likely as the witnesses or responsible officials for the transaction.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[n+]2 [...] gur [...] of barley, Ur-Enki, son of Lugal-tumma, (and) Aba-Enlil, son of Amar-Ašnan, from the house of the temple administrator (sanga) received. Ur-Enlil, Ur-KID-GAM-na, Anna'ag.”
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, 038 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 051
In plain English
Two gur of barley, less three ban: Lugal-hegal and Šita-iri handed this over to …-du8, whose name is partly lost. The delivery covers the month of Du-ku and the sheep-shearing month. The barley is booked as an expenditure, and the responsible official is Ur-Ninmug, the kingal.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 2 gur minus 3 ban of barley: 2. Lugal-hegal 3. (and) Šita-iri 4. gave (it) to ...-du8. 5. Month: Du-ku; 6. month: <House> of sheep-shearing. 7. Barley expended; 8. Ur-Ninmug 9. is the kingal.”
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, 179 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 053
In plain English
Barley received, measured by the Agade standard: 2 barig and 3 ban from Gakalam, 2 barig and 3 ban from Ur-dam, and 1 barig and 3 ban from Ur-Ištaran. The final line, "out of this", opens the list of what was spent from that grain. The entries of that list are not part of the text we have.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 2 barig 3 ban of barley, (by the) Agade (measure), 2. from Gakalam; 3. 2 barig 3 ban from Ur-dam; 4. 1 barig 3 ban from Ur-Ištaran. 5. From among it:”
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, 033 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 054
In plain English
Emmer wheat from the new harvest is recorded as follows. Šara-x-bad, of the household of Nin-imma, receives 7 gur. The household of Ša-Magan receives 2 barig, and Nu another 2 barig. Meme receives 13 gur. On the back the scribe totals it all up: 21 gur of emmer, all of it new-crop grain.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse col. i 1. 7 gur of emmer: 2. Šara-x-bad, 3. house of Nin-imma(?). col. ii 4. 2 barig of emmer: 5. house of Ša-Magan. 6. 2 barig: Nu. 7. 13 gur of emmer: 8. Meme. Reverse 9. Their total: 10. 21 gur of emmer, 11. new emmer.”
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, 044 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 058
In plain English
Issued: 600 loaves of bread, one ban-measure of baked bread together with 20 more items, and one gur of barley. These went to [...] Urki, the overseer, and to Annatum. Ur-Ninmug the scribe was the official in charge of the transaction. Recorded in the month of Šuba-nun.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 600 (loaves of) bread, 2. 1 ban of baked (bread), 20 (units), 3. 1 gur of barley: 4. [...] Urki, 5. the overseer; 6. Annatum. 7. Ur-Ninmug, 8. the scribe, 9. (was) its commissioner. 10. Month: Šuba-nun.”
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, 074 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 066
In plain English
The men on this team are Sig-gi, Mudari, Tarta, Sagadu and Urzu, one each, with Sig-gi as their foreman. They are crewmen for the large boats, belonging to the UG₃.GA₂, and they were handed over for service bound for Isin. The record is dated the month of Mu-tir, after the tenth day had passed.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. [1] Sig₄-gi, 2. 1 Mudari, 3. 1 Tarta, 4. 1 Sagadu, 5. 1 Urzu: 6. foreman: Sig₄-gi; Reverse 7. men of the large boats, 8. (of the) UG₃.GA₂; 9. for Isin 10. he gave (them). 11. Month: Mu-tir, 12. day 10 having passed.”
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, 173 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 068
In plain English
Roll of herdsmen. Lugal-iri, Nammaḫni, Nimgir-abzu, Azuzu, Igisu, E-amaš-zi, IM-ki, Lugal-nitazi, Ur-zigumma, Ur-Ašgi, Anna, Šaganisu and Nammaḫ are listed one by one, one man each. Thirteen men in all, and every one of them is a cowherd.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [1] Lugal-iri 2. [1] Nammaḫni 3. 1 Nimgir-[abzu] 4. 1 Azu[zu] 5. 1 Igisu 6. 1 E-amaš-zi 7. 1 IM-ki 8. 1 Lugal-nitazi 9. 1 Ur-zigumma 10. 1 Ur-Ašgi 11. 1 Anna 12. 1 Šaganisu 13. 1 Nammaḫ 14. They are cowherds.”
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, 088b — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 069
In plain English
Work assignments, measured in rods of length: 5 rods go to the chief smith, and another share to the chief carpenter. The next few entries are too damaged to read. The last surviving entry gives 5 rods to the chief builder. Total: 25 rods of work, for the field identified by a number that is now illegible.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 5 nindan (rods) of work: 2. the chief smith; 3. [...], the chief carpenter; 4. [...] 5. [...] 6. [...] 7. [...] ... [...] 8. 5 (rods of work): the chief builder. 9. Total: 25 nindan (rods) of work; 10. field, the ...th.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-01/v9-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry