Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · IOS 49 — Institute of Oriental Studies, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
TJA pl.65, IOS 49
In plain English
The tablet is a stock list of aromatics, weighed in minas: 50 of white cedar, 15 of cypress, 16 of juniper, 12 of murranum resin, a damaged figure ending in 3 for another aromatic, 7 of an-HAR aromatic, 3 of 'clay' aromatic, 6 of sweet aromatic, and 6 of algarig. Gamgamma aromatic is measured by volume instead, at 1 ban and 5 sila. Probably 3 more minas of kurum aromatic follow. The next two entries are too damaged to read, apart from one more aromatic. The list closes with the name Ur-Ninildu and a period of some number of years and 6 months.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“50 minas of white cedar, 15 minas of cypress, 16 minas of juniper (zabalum), 12 minas of murranum aromatic, [n]+3 minas of aromatic ..., 7 minas of an-HAR aromatic, 3 minas of 'clay' aromatic, 6 minas of sweet aromatic, 6 minas of algarig, 1 ban 5 sila of gamgam[ma] aromatic, [3 (minas)] of ku[rum] aromatic, [...] ... [...] [...] aromatic ... ... Ur-Ninildu. [n] year(s), 6 month(s).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · HS 0787 — Hilprecht Collection, University of Jena, Germany
TMH 05, 037
In plain English
One barig of barley each went to Heli, Nin-gula, Nin-HAR-ni and Nin-erre. Nin-geš, Nin-gi and E-inutuku also received grain, but the amounts are broken off, and the next entry is too damaged to read. The record is dated to the Emmer month, in the year Naram-Sin destroyed Šabbunum.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 barig of barley: Heli; 1 barig: Nin-gula; 1 barig: Nin-HAR-ni; 1 barig: Nin-erre; [...]: Nin-geš; [...]: Nin-gi; [...]: E-inutuku; [...] ... [...] [Month] of Emmer. Year: Naram-Sin destroyed Šabbunum.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · HS 0800 — Hilprecht Collection, University of Jena, Germany
TMH 05, 050
In plain English
One man, Lugal-azida, a servant of Lugal-kigala, has run away from the governor. A slave woman belonging to Ur-nigar has told us where he went: "He is staying at the threshing floor of the chief household administrator." Have him brought back here. The last two lines are too damaged to read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[1] Lugal-azida, servant of Lugal-kigala, from the governor fled. Where he fled to, the slave woman of Ur-nigar said: "In the threshing floor of the chief household administrator he is staying." Let them b[ri]ng (him) here. ... ... [...] ...”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2130 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Gudea 001
“(1) For Bau, the kind woman, the child of An, the lady of Iri-kug, his lady, Gudea, ruler of Lagaš, built her temple in Iri-kug.”
Source: Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Royal Inscriptions (ETCSRI), University of Vienna, edited by Gábor Zólyomi et al. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/etcsri/Q000887/
Read the full tablet entry~2130 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Gudea 002
“(1) For Bau, the child of An, his lady, Gudea, ruler of Lagaš, built her temple in Iri-kug.”
Source: Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Royal Inscriptions (ETCSRI), University of Vienna, edited by Gábor Zólyomi et al. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/etcsri/Q000888/
Read the full tablet entry~2130 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Gudea 003
Gudea's dedication of Bau's temple at Iri-kug documents the pre-Ur III ruler of Lagaš as a temple-builder for An's daughter, anchoring his legitimacy in divine patronage rather than military conquest.
“(1) For Bau, the kind woman, the child of An, his lady, Gudea, ruler of Lagaš, built her temple in Iri-kug.”
Source: Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Royal Inscriptions (ETCSRI), University of Vienna, edited by Gábor Zólyomi et al. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/etcsri/Q000889/
Read the full tablet entry~2130 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Gudea 004
Records Gudea of Lagaš's construction of a temple to Bau at Iri-kug, anchoring the goddess's cult site to a specific Lagašite ruler and expanding the known catalogue of his building projects beyond the celebrated E-ninnu.
“(1) For Bau, the kind woman, the child of An, the lady of Iri-kug, his lady, Gudea, ruler of Lagaš, the builder of Ninĝirsu's E-ninnu and the E-ĝidru, his temple of seven niches, built her temple in Iri-kug.”
Source: Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Royal Inscriptions (ETCSRI), University of Vienna, edited by Gábor Zólyomi et al. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/etcsri/Q000890/
Read the full tablet entry~2130 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Gudea 005
“(1) For Bau, the kind woman, the daughter of An, the lady of Iri-kug, his lady, Gudea, ruler of Lagaš, the builder of Ninĝirsu's E-ninnu, built her city wall of Iri-kug.”
Source: Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Royal Inscriptions (ETCSRI), University of Vienna, edited by Gábor Zólyomi et al. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/etcsri/Q001473/
Read the full tablet entry