Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 145 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 117
In plain English
One sheep each is credited to A-geštin, Lugal-pirig-tur, Lugal-si-gar, An-dur and Na-pa-lu. These men are shepherds. Another sheep is listed under Dingir-qar, and one animal under Ug-ga. Lugal-a is down for a nanny goat, while Lugal-igi, Mu-ni-uri and Giri-ne each have a billy goat. This second group are the goatherds.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 1 sheep: 2. A-geštin; 3. 1: Lugal-pirig-tur; 4. 1: Lugal-si-gar; 5. 1: An-dur; 6. 1: Na-pa-lu; 7. they are shepherds. 8. 1 sheep: 9. Dingir-qar; Reverse 10. 1: Ug-ga; 11. [1] nanny goat: Lugal-a; 12. 1 billy goat: Lugal-igi; 13. 1 billy goat: Mu-ni-uri; 14. 1 billy goat: Giri-ne; 15. they are goatherds.”
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, 049a — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 118
In plain English
The account opens with a flock of 258 rams and 392 ewes. The scribe writes the first figure as 'four sixties and twenty, minus two'. Their wool comes to a sum in talents plus 20 minas, and it is logged by someone whose name ends in '-ni' as held in the storehouse. A further group of rams follows, but the number is lost. Their wool weighs one mina less 13 shekels. The final line mentions a field, but the rest of it is too damaged to read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 258 (lit. 4 × 60 + 20 minus 2) rams, 2. 392 ewes; 3. [their wool]: talent(s) (and) 20 minas; 4. [...]-ni, in the storehouse. 5. [n ra]ms; 6. [their wool]: 1 mina less 13 (shekels); 7. [...] field ...”
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, 148 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 121
In plain English
Flock count: 589 sheep and another 10 sheep, plus 100 lambs, all of them speckled. Still outstanding: 164 sheep and 1 lamb. This shortfall is charged to Ur-zigumma, the herdsman.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 600 less 11 (= 589) sheep, 10 sheep; 2. 100 (60 + 40) lambs: 3. they are speckled. 4. Deficit: 164 (120 + 40 + 4) sheep; 5. deficit: 1 lamb; Reverse 6. deficit. 7. Ur-zigumma, 8. the herdsman.”
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, 157 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 124
In plain English
Two donkey hides and eight sheep hides are entered in this record. A few lines naming the people or details involved are badly damaged; only a name ending in '-girim' survives in part. The reverse names Dudu[...] and Annašum and books the hides as issued out of stock. It closes with the name Lugal-itida and notes that the account belongs to Susi.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 2 donkey hides, 2. 8 sheep hides, 3. [...]-x-girim, 4. [...] x [...] 5. x [...] Reverse 6. Dudu[...], 7. Annašum: 8. hides expended. 9. Lugal-itida; 10. (it is that) of Susi.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-01/v9-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 078 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 131
In plain English
Received into the storehouse: 9 talents and 28 minas of wool. The delivery is credited to Ur-damu, the herdsman, and the wool comes from the Lagaš flock.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“9 (lit. 10 minus 1) talents 28 minas of wool, wool of the storehouse; it is what was brought in. Ur-damu, the herdsman. It is (of) the sheep of Lagaš.”
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, 118 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 140
In plain English
Wool issued by weight. Mama-ummi received 1 talent and 25 minas, and Nin-GIR-gal received the same amount. Me-nigarta received 1 talent and Nin-nigzu received 30 minas. In all, 4 talents and 20 minas of wool were handed out to them from the wool stores or wool-workers. Recorded in the month GAN-eš-gar-šu-gar.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 1 talent [2]5 minas of wool: 2. Mama-ummi; 3. 1 talent 25 minas: Nin-GIR2@g-gal; 4. 1 talent: Me-nigarta; 5. 30 (minas): Nin-nigzu. Reverse 6. Total: 4 talents 20 minas of wool. 7. From the wool(-workers?) 8. he gave (it) to them. 9. Month: GAN2-eš2-gar3-šu-gar.”
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, 132 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 141
In plain English
Weaving shortfall: Mama-ummi owes 4 bar-dul₅ garments, Geme-Enlil 1, Ašdar 4, Da-im-a 1, Nin-GIR₂-gal 2, Nig-banda 2 and Sibitum 1. That makes 15 weaver-made bar-dul₅ garments in all, and the whole amount is still outstanding. The record covers the months of Šuba-nun and Ab-usa.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 4 weaver's bar-dul₅ garments: 2. Mama-ummi; 3. 1: Geme-Enlil; 4. 4: Ašdar; 5. 1: Da-im-a; 6. 2: Nin-GIR₂-gal; 7. 2: Nig-banda; 8. 1: Sibitum. Reverse 9. Total: 15 weaver's bar-dul₅ garments, 10. (this) is the outstanding balance. 11. Month Šuba-nun, month Ab-usa.”
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, 047a — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 142
In plain English
The tablet lists woven garments and their weights. First come some nig-lam robes made by weavers, followed by their weight, and then some bardul cloaks, also weaver-made, with their weight. These are entered under the name Mamummi. The next entry is another batch of nig-lam robes, with a line that is too damaged to read, and then their weight. A last batch of weaver-made nig-lam robes follows with its weight. The whole consignment came from Me-nigar. Every count and weight figure has been lost to breakage.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [n] nig-lam garment(s), weaver-made, 2. their weight: [...]; 3. [n] bardul garment(s), weaver-made, 4. their weight: [...]: 5. [Ma]mummi. 6. [n nig]-lam [garment(s), weaver-made], 7. ...[...], 8. [their] weight: [...]; 9. [n] nig-lam garment(s), weaver-made, 10. their weight: [...]; 11. from Me-nigar.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-01/v9-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry