Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · BdI 1, 195 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 249
In plain English
Flour issues. A[ga]de received 5 sila of dabin-flour. Igizi[...] received 4 sila of groats. Hena[...] and Lugal[...] got 3 sila each and En[...] got 5 sila. Ninsage received 1 ban (10 sila), and Eba received 5 sila of emmer. Altogether this comes to 3 ban 5 sila (35 sila) of emmer flour (of) Agade. Still outstanding: 1 sila from Ninsage, 1 sila from Uzili and half a sila from Ningu[...], whose name is partly lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 5 sila of dabin-flour, A[ga]de 2. 4 sila of groats, Igizi[...] 3. 3 sila, Hena[...] 4. 3 sila, Lugal[...] 5. 5 sila, En[...] 6. 1 ban (= 10 sila), Ninsage 7. 5 sila of emmer, Eba Reverse 8. Total: 3 ban 5 sila (= 35 sila), emmer flour (of) Agade. 9. Deficit: 1 sila, Ninsage; 10. 1 sila, Uzili; 11. 1/2 sila, Ningu[...].”
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, 147 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 250
In plain English
The work crew received 240 loaves of bread, each of 1 sila, along with 6 of something else whose name is lost and 28 split dried fish. The attendants received 80 loaves of the same size. Ezi the scribe received 10 loaves. Dada supervised the issue. This bread is booked as an expenditure charged to Emah-dingir.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 240 (loaves of) bread of 1 sila each, 2. 6 [...], 3. 30 minus 2 (= 28) split (dried) fish: 4. the workers received (them). 5. 80 (loaves of) bread of 1 sila each: 6. they are the attendants (lit. 'standing men'). Reverse 7. 10 (loaves of) bread of 1 sila each: Ezi, 8. the scribe. 9. Dada (was) its commissioner. 10. Bread expended; 11. it is (that) of Emah-dingir.”
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, 030 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 251
In plain English
Bread issued: 24 men received 2 loaves each, and 3 brewers 2 loaves each. The boatmen got 5 loaves. Barasag received 20 loaves and 1 jar of beer, and the king's soldiers got the same. Ur-dumu-x received 24 loaves and 2 jars of beer, and Ur-Nin... 5 loaves. The next line is lost. Two more entries of 10 follow, one ending in '...ab' and one for a soldier, but both are partly broken. Total: 180 loaves of bread and 4 jars of beer, booked as bread paid out.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“24 men, 2 (loaves of) bread each; 3 men, brewers, 2 (each); 5 (bread): boatmen; 20 (loaves of) bread, 1 (jar of) beer: Barasag; 20 (loaves of) bread, 1 (jar of) beer: soldiers of the king; 24 (loaves of) bread, 2 (jars of) beer: Ur-dumu-x; 5 (loaves of) bread: Ur-Nin[...]; [...] 10 [n bread ...]-ab; 10 ... [...] soldier(s). Total: 180 (loaves of) bread, 4 (jars of) beer: bread 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, 194 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 252
In plain English
The staff listed here are one fuller, one livestock fattener, seven brewers and two doorkeepers, and none of them is on the bread allowance. Total issued: 1,591 rations of bread and 48 (fifty less two) rations of beer, all booked as expenditure of beer and bread.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 fuller, 1 fattener of livestock, 7 brewers, 2 doorkeepers: they [are] not allotted bread. 1,591 (rations of) bread, 50 minus 2 (= 48) (rations of) beer: beer (and) bread 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, 211 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 254
In plain English
Lu-Iškur is down for 2 gur of beer-bread and an amount of chickpeas whose figure is lost, all measured in gur. Nani is down for more chickpeas and coarse flour, both in quantities now broken away, plus 2 gur of groats. Ur-pisan is down for 2 barig of coarse flour and 1 barig of groats. A closing note records that all of this was returned.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“2 gur of beer-bread, [...] gur of chickpeas, (for) Lu-Iškur; [...] gur of chickpeas, [...] gur of coarse flour, 2 gur of groats, (for) Nani; 2 barig of coarse flour, 1 barig of groats, (for) Ur-pisan. It is (what was) returned.”
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, 188 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 256
In plain English
The list is short: 1 gur of large chickpeas, 2 barig of small chickpeas, 1 ban of coriander and 5 sila of cumin. Next comes a damaged entry, of which only '1 barig' and the word for cheese survive. It ends with 5 ban of beer-bread, the dried malt cakes brewers used to make beer.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 gur of large chickpeas, 2 barig of small chickpeas, 1 ban of coriander, 5 sila of cumin, [...] 1 barig [...] cheese, 5 ban of beer-bread.”
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, 172 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 257
In plain English
Ur-mes the fowler delivered 6 gur of fish in 50 baskets. Masa-ninsu delivered 2 barig of fish in 5 baskets. Lugal-teš the cook is responsible for 9 gur of fish, divided as follows: 3 from Lu-x, 2 from the household administrator, 2 from Ur-lili, 2 from Lalla and 1 from Kituš-bir. Finally, Lu-saga delivered 2 gur less 1 barig of fish in 15 baskets.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“6 gur of fish, 50 baskets: he delivered (them). Ur-mes, the fowler. 2 barig of fish, 5 baskets: he delivered (them). Masa-ninsu. 9 gur of fish: Lugal-teš, the cook. 3: Lu-x; 2: the [household] administrator; 2: Ur-lili; 2: Lalla; 1: Kituš-bir. 2 gur less 1 barig of fish, 15 baskets: he delivered (them). Lu-sa[ga].”
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, 018 — Banca d'Italia, Rome, Italy
TCBI 1, 258
In plain English
One basket of small fish goes to Sat-bel, another to Ili-ištakal, and a third to [...]-talik, an official with the title lu2-igi. The next lines are broken. They seem to record leather items called esir-eba, and a further delivery of the same leather goods goes to Ur-ME, the scribe. One ša3-gid2 is issued to Datum, the courier. The record is dated: 27 days of the month have passed.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 1 gurdub-basket of small fish: 2. Sat-bel. 3. 1 gurdub-basket of small fish: 4. Ili-ištakal. 5. [1] gurdub-basket of small fish: 6. [...]-talik, the lu2-igi official. 7. [...] 8. [...] 9. [n leather esir-e]ba (items) 10. [...] 11. [...] leather esir-eba (items): 12. Ur-ME, the scribe. 13. 1 ša3-gid2: 14. Datum, the courier. 15. [Day] 30 minus 3 (= 27) elapsed.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry