Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 206 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 232
In plain English
Ten sheepskins, intended for leather sacks, were handed over to Ur-zigumma, the cook. Six more sheepskins were used to fit out the GIN₂ and the mats of Edudu and the boat of Iškur-andul. These hides are booked as leather expenditure, under the names Lugal-itida and Susi.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 10 sheep skins, 2. skins for leather sacks, 3. to Ur-zigumma, 4. the cook, 5. were given. Reverse 6. 6 sheep skins: 7. the GIN₂ (and) the mat(s) of Edudu (and) the boat of Iškur-andul 8. were fitted (with them). 9. Leather expended, 10. Lugal-itida; 11. Susi.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 146 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 233
In plain English
Four goat hides went to the man in charge of stretched goods. Two hides for the governor's leather bag were handed to Gala, the leather-worker. Two more were given to a leather-worker, out of his own labour allotment, for a linen fitting (the exact item, á-gá, is unclear). In all, eight white hides were booked out of stock as expended.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“4 hides: goat (hides), (for) the man of the stretched things; he gave (them) to him. 2 hides: hides for the leather bag of the governor; Gala, the leather-worker, he gave (them) to him. 2 hides: for the á-gá of linen, from his own labour, the leather-worker; he gave (them) to him. Total: 8 white hides; they are hides that were expended.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 144 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 236
In plain English
The tablet lists one nig-lam garment and one šaga-du garment for Lugal-nir, the shepherd. One bar-dul cloak goes with Bulali and the carpenters, though one line here is lost. Another bar-dul cloak goes with Lu-saga, the chief farmer. The total is 4 garments, recorded as returned, on the seventh occasion. A commissioner, whose name is broken except for its last sign, oversaw the transaction.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 nig-lam garment, 1 šaga-du garment: Lugal-nir, the shepherd. 1 bar-dul garment: Bulali, [...] the carpenters. 1 bar-dul garment: Lu-saga, the chief farmer. Total: 4 garments, returned; for the 7th time. [...]-x (was) the commissioner.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 171 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 241
In plain English
Barley still owed: Ur-Inanna, 19 gur 2 barig. TAR-ta, 10 gur 2 barig 5 ban. Lu-BI, 10 gur less 2 barig. E-ur, 12 gur. Aš-ane, the temple administrator, 3 gur 2 barig. Sipa-ane, the cook, 1 gur. Šakuge, 64 gur. The total comes to 120 gur less 2, plus 2 barig of barley. These are unpaid balances left over from last year. Mesag's account.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 19 gur 2 barig of barley: Ur-Inanna; 2. (see line 1) 3. 10 gur 2 barig 5 ban: TAR-ta; 4. 10 gur minus 2 barig: Lu-BI; 5. 12 gur: E-ur; 6. 3 gur 2 barig: Aš-ane, the temple administrator; 7. 1 gur: Sipa-ane, the cook; 8. 64 gur: Šakuge. Reverse 9. Total: 120 minus 2 gur, (plus) 2 barig of barley, 10. it is the [arr]ears of last [year]; 11. Mesa[g].”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 2, 027 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 244
In plain English
The record begins with an amount of grain measured partly in ban, but the figure is incomplete. A batch of barley with a numbering we cannot read comes next, then 2 gur of barley from the household of Lugal-ša-x. Further entries follow, one ending in -KA, but they are broken. The last name is Ur-Ababa. The total, whose first figure is lost, is 2 barig minus 1 ban and 5 sila of barley, counted as regular deliveries. The cupbearer received it. Dated: the month of the barley harvest.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[n] 2 ban [of ...], barley, ...-th (?); 2 gur of barley from the house of Lugal-ša-x; [...]-KA [...] [Ur]-Ababa. [Total:] n (gur) 2 barig minus 1 ban 5 sila [of barley], (in) gur, regular deliveries: the cupbearer received (it). [Month: barley] harvest.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 212 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 245
In plain English
Barley, measured by the official Agade standard. Ur-Inanna gets [some number plus] 5 gur. Ur-Ennun gets [some number plus] 3 gur. TAR-ta gets 4 gur, 1 barig and 2 ban. E-[...] gets 4 gur. The next entry is too damaged to read. Someone whose name is lost gets 2 gur, 2 barig and 3 ban. Ša-kuge gets 2 gur and 1 barig. In all, 16 gur, 1 barig, 2 ban and 5 sila of barley by the Agade measure, received by the brewers.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[n+]5 gur of barley (by the) Agade (measure): Ur-Inanna; [n+]3 (gur): Ur-Ennun; 4 (gur) 1 barig 2 ban: TAR-ta; 4 (gur): E-[...]; ...[...]; 2 (gur) 2 barig 3 ban: [...]; 2 (gur) 1 barig: Ša-kuge [...]. Total: 16 gur 1 barig 2 ban 5 sila of barley (by the) Agade (measure), [rec]eived by the brewers.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 095 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 246
In plain English
Ur-Inanna confirms receipt of 18 gur of barley, measured by the standard gur, taken from the great storehouse, and 12 gur taken from the E-mah. The receipt also records beer: 2 units each, running until a month whose name is lost, and one 10-sila jar of beer, running until the fourth month.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“20 less 2 (= 18) gur of barley, standard (gur), from the E-niggur-gula; 12 (gur) from the E-mah. Beer, 2 (units) each, until the month [...]; beer, 1 jar of 10 sila, until the 4th month. Received by Ur-Inanna.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 186 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 247
In plain English
Please issue the following. Two barig of barley and two barig of emmer wheat are to cover the ferry fee. Three more barig of barley, measured by the Agade standard, are the barley ration for the New Year. Hand it over to him.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 2 barig of barley, 2. 2 barig of emmer: 3. it is (for) the ferry fee (addir). 4. 3 barig of barley (by the) Agade (measure): 5. it is the barley ration of the New Year. 6. Let him give (it) to him!”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry