Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 204 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 181
In plain English
Two talents of rushes were handed over to Šu-ne-KA. Gissu received one gur of white alkali-plant, and Bur-gul received one gur and two barig of alkali-plant along with four talents of white gypsum. Finally, Dada received a third of a mina plus four shekels of a material the scribe calls su3:gan2, which we cannot securely identify.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 2 talents of rushes (ninni5) 2. to Šu-ne-KA 3. he gave. 4. 1 gur of white alkali-plant (naga): 5. Gissu. 6. 1 gur 2 barig of alkali-plant (naga): 7. Bur-gul. 8. 4 talents of white gypsum (im-babbar2): 9. Bur-gul. 10. 1/3 (mina) 4 shekels of su3:gan2: 11. Dada.”
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, 044 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 186
In plain English
The opening of the list is lost, and the first surviving entry is too damaged to make out. Then come the goods: two barig of beer-bread and two of malt, two barig of barley, three ban of fish, one sila of oil, and a leather item, probably a sandal sole. After another damaged entry, the list names a woollen cloak weighing 8 minas and a šagada garment. Following one more broken line, the tablet notes that all of this was handed over to the recipient and taken away.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse (Beginning destroyed) [...] ...-a (dar?) 2 barig of beer-bread, 2 barig of malt, 2 barig of barley, 3 ban of fish, 1 sila of oil, 1 leather suhuš (sandal sole?), [...] 1 bar-dul5 cloak, its weight: 8 minas, [1] šagada [garment], [...] he gave to him/her. It was taken away (delivered).”
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, 053 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 187
In plain English
The top of the tablet is broken, and the first readable entry, apparently a name like Lunanam, is damaged. After that the list runs: Szubur-tur, 94 units plus 2 smaller units; Sag-dingir-tuku, 75 units; and 70 units for the ildu group. The commodity and the unit of measure are not stated in what survives.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Beginning destroyed) 1. [...] 2. Lu-na[nam?] ... 3. 94 (lit. 1 sixty, 3 tens, 4 units): Szubur-tur; 2 (tilted units) 4. 75 (lit. 1 sixty, 1 ten, 5 units): Sag-dingir-tuku 5. 70 (lit. 1 sixty, 1 ten): for the ildu”
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, 010 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 189
In plain English
The opening lines are damaged. They mention a man named Lugal-nigbara-dug and someone's 'house of shade', perhaps a shaded storehouse or shelter. Then comes a list of allocations: three units to someone whose name ends in -Enlila, one ban (roughly ten litres) each to En-x-x and to Malah-gal, and two barig to Di-Utu, the overseer. E-šar gets two barig and one ban. The list closes with two more names, Erim-lara-AN and Ur-E-iginim, written without amounts.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. [...] Lugal-nigbara-dug 2. [...] its [ho]use of shade 3. 3 [...]: [...]-Enlila 4. 1 ban: En-x-x 5. 1 ban: Malah-gal 6. 2 barig: Di-Utu, 7. the overseer 8. 2 barig 1 ban: E-šar 9. Erim-lara-AN 10. Ur-E-iginim”
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, 049b — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 190
In plain English
The tablet is a list of grain allocations to individuals. The first entry is 2 barig and 1 ban, and the recipient's name is lost. Someone whose name begins Ur- receives 1 gur and 3 ban. A man whose name begins Lugal- receives 2 barig and 3 ban. Another entry, with its name lost, comes to 1 gur, 1 barig and 2 ban. Last, someone whose name begins Ša- receives 1 barig. The right side of every line is broken off, so the full names and any notes after them are gone.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 2 barig 1 ban [...] 2. 1 gur 3 ban, Ur-[...] 3. 2 barig 3 ban, Lugal-[...] 4. 1 gur 1 barig 2 ban [...] 5. 1 barig, Ša-[...]”
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, 141 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 192
In plain English
Geme-arsar is credited with two amounts: 2 ban (part of the line is lost) measured by the Akkade standard, and 3 ban 2 sila measured by the royal standard. Nin-andul gets 4 ban by the Akkade standard. Ama-duzu gets 3 ban. The note does not say what was being measured, though it was most likely grain.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 2 ban [...], (by the) Akkade (ban), 2. 3 ban 2 sila, (by the) royal ban: 3. Geme-arsar. Reverse 4. 4 ban, (by the) Akkade (ban): 5. Nin-andul. 6. 3 ban: Ama-duzu.”
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, 168 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 198
In plain English
Dada holds 16 wooden horn-pieces and 5 daggers. Lugal-e has 15 wooden horn-pieces and 5 daggers. Ur-ega, the soldier, has 34 wooden horn-pieces and a single dagger. Šume is down for 30 daggers.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 16 wooden horn(-objects), 2. 5 daggers: 3. Dada. 4. 15 wooden horn(-objects), 5. 5 daggers: 6. Lugal-e. 7. 34 wooden horn(-objects), 8. 1 dagger: 9. Ur-ega, 10. the soldier. 11. 30 daggers: 12. Šume.”
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, 023 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 199
In plain English
The record opens with a damaged entry of 40 animals and a group of she-asses whose number is lost. After that come male donkeys with 5 (plus a broken figure) and 4, then she-asses 3, male donkeys 3, she-asses 2, male donkeys 2, she-asses 1, and male donkeys 1. Two prime male donkeys are listed separately. In all there are 88 equids, kept at the mouth of the Ešubur canal and recorded under the surveyor.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“40 [...] she-asses [...] n 5 male donkeys, 4 she-asses, 3 male donkeys, 3 she-asses, 2 male donkeys, 2 she-asses, 1 male donkeys, 1 2 prime male donkeys Total: 88 equids, (at) the mouth of the Ešubur canal; the surveyor.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry