Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 152 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 070
In plain English
One man each: Lugal-anne, son of Ur-ME; Igini, son of Dudu; Ur-dam, son of Nigu-ta; Zamu, son of Ur-gu; Ur-tur, whose father is not named; E-damsi, son of Anne; and Danum, son of Gissu. That makes seven men in all. The tablet gives no total and does not say what the list was for.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 Lugal-anne, son of Ur-ME; 1 Igini, son of Dudu; 1 Ur-dam, son of Nigu-ta; 1 Zamu, son of Ur-gu; 1 Ur-tur; 1 E-damsi, son of Anne; 1 Danum, son of Gissu.”
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, 128 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 072
In plain English
Staff count: two men belonging to KA-ku3; Ur-ninmug; Ur-su, who is listed with the title lu2-gu2; one barber; two cupbearers; one man who fattens livestock; and seven herdsmen. Fifteen people in all.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 2 men (of) KA-ku3; 2. 1 Ur-ninmug; 3. 1 Ur-su, 4. the lu2-gu2; 5. 1 barber; 6. 2 cupbearers; Reverse 7. 1 fattener (lit. shepherd of fattened animals); 8. 7 u2-du (herdsmen?); 9. Total: 15 men.”
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, 199 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 075
In plain English
The list opens with a count of one and several names that are now mostly broken away. Then come Karmu, son of Beli-iṣlum; a man whose name ends in '-sar', described as a son of the king; Ilrabi; and Ušla. Together these are recorded as men called up for service. A final section assigns personnel to supervisors: under Bēlī-ṭāb is Ilī-dan, and a further group is under Kurub-Ašgi.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 [...] 2. [...]-ni 3. [...] 4. [...]-gi 5. [...] Karmu, 6. son of Beli-iṣlum; 7. [...]-sar, son of the king; 8. Ilrabi; 9. Ušla; 10. men of the levy. 11. (Those) of Bēlī-ṭāb: 12. Ilī-dan. 13. (Those) of Kurub-Ašgi.”
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, 047b — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 080
In plain English
This is a roll of names, one person to a line: A-geštin, someone whose name ends in '-edam', someone ending in '-sag', Lugal-entarsu, someone ending in '-da', Lugal-itida, someone ending in '-ta', Ur-geš, someone ending in '-NE-du', someone ending in '-ur-Enki', someone ending in '-bar', and someone whose name ends with the goddess Inanna. The beginnings of most names are lost, and nothing preserved says what the list was for.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [A]-geštin(?) 2. [...]-edam 3. [...]-sag 4. [Lugal]-entarsu 5. [...]-da 6. [Lugal]-itida 7. [...]-ta 8. Ur-geš 9. [...]-NE-du 10. [...]-ur-Enki 11. [...]-x-bar 12. [...]-Inanna”
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, 047d — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 081
In plain English
The opening line is too damaged to read. Next, three people are recorded as deceased: Ininšum, someone whose name ends in '-ani', and someone whose name ends in '-galme'. After them comes a list of individuals still on the roll, each counted as one person: Banda, a person whose name ends in '-ta', Nin-nigzu, Bizaza, Nin-dalla, Nin-ša, someone whose name ends in '-barage', and finally Mudakuš.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [...] ... 2. [I]ninšum, dead; 3. [...]-ani, dead; 4. [...]-galme, dead; 5. [1] Banda; 6. [1] ...-ta; 7. [1] Nin-nigzu; 8. 1 Bizaza; 9. [1] Nin-dalla; 10. [1] Nin-ša; 11. [1 ...]-barage; 12. [1] Mudakuš.”
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, 054 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 082
In plain English
Two girls, Išbabi and Ḫe-Iškur, are recorded here, one each. They are the daughters of Ur-Enlil, son of Igisura, who handed them over to the storehouse. Gissu the fuller brought them in. The transfer is dated to the harvest month, on the 23rd day.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 Išbabi, 1 Ḫe-Iškur, his daughters; Ur-Enlil, son of Igisura, for the storehouse gave them to him. Gissu, the fuller, brought (them). Month: Še-KIN-ku (harvest), day 23 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, 034 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 085
In plain English
Silver payments: the carpenter of the inner household gets 3 shekels of refined silver. Babda gets 1 shekel and Sag-abtuku gets 1 shekel. A third of a shekel is entered as a purchase price, under Šanugal. Ulla gets half a shekel.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 3 shekels of refined silver: the carpenter of the interior (household); 2. 1 (shekel): Babda; 3. 1 (shekel): Sag-abtuku; 4. 1/3 (shekel): purchase (price), Šanugal; 5. 1/2 (shekel): Ulla.”
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, 062 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 095
In plain English
This is a record of bronze returned. Umunene accounted for 1 mina 16 shekels and E-geš for 1 mina 10 shekels. Lugal-sag accounted for a third of a mina and Lu-Nanna for half a mina. The total is 3 minas 16 shekels of bronze, which the scribes returned.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 1 mina 16 shekels of bronze: 2. Umunene; 3. 1 mina 10 shekels: 4. E-geš; 5. 1/3 (mina): Lugal-sag; 6. 1/2 mina: Lu-Nanna. Reverse 7. Total: 3 minas 16 shekels of bronze, 8. returned, 9. the scribes.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-01/v9-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry