Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · Anonymous 270825 — private: anonymous, unlocated
Anonymous 270825
In plain English
The tablet lists seven people, one per line: Kardu, Guza (if read correctly), Lulum, Urtur, a woman named Anudul, Utu-ursag, and someone whose name ends in -uri. The closing lines are damaged. They seem to name the group's foreman, but only the ending '-ta' of his name and the title 'foreman' can still be read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 Kardu; 1 Guza(?); 1 Lulum(?); 1 Urtur(?); 1 woman, Anudul; 1 Utu-ursag; 1 ...-uri; ......-ta, foreman.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Anonymous 270828 — private: anonymous, unlocated
Anonymous 270828
In plain English
A total of 14,148 units, written as 3 šar, 5 šar'u, 5 geš and 50 minus 2, was handed over from the field known as E-šulla. The entry is marked as returned or accounted for. The names E-sursi(?) and A-mah(?) follow. The transaction was carried out on the authority of Izi(?), and Ur-ninmug(?) is also named. The tablet does not say what was counted.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“3 šar, 5 šar'u-units of 600, 5 geš-units of 60, 50 minus 2 (= 14,148 units), given; (from) the field E-šulla; returned (to the hand). E-sursi(?). A-mah(?). By the word of Izi(?). Ur-ninmug(?).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Anonymous 270829 — private: anonymous, unlocated
Anonymous 270829
In plain English
Grain account: 1 barig 2 ban of emmer for Agade, apparently for the merchant. Another 1 barig 4 ban of emmer goes out, with 2 barig 1 ban of wheat. Ba'a receives 7 sila of emmer. The Amorite receives 1 ban 3 sila of emmer. The son of Sabul receives 6 sila. A further 1 barig 2 ban of emmer is to be ground into flour for emmer groats. The total comes to 1 gur 4 ban 6 sila of emmer. Separately, about 6 sila of wheat go to the boat at the quay of TAG-NE.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 barig 2 ban of emmer: Agade; 2. merchant(?). 3. 1 barig 4 ban of emmer, 2 barig 1 ban of wheat; 4. 7 sila of emmer: Ba'a; 5. 1 ban 3 sila of emmer: the Amorite; 6. 6 sila: the son of Sabul; 7. 1 barig 2 ban of emmer, flour, for emmer groats. 8. Total: 1 gur 4 ban 6 sila of emmer. 9. 6(?) sila of wheat: the boat of the quay of TAG(?)-NE.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-11-08/v10-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Anonymous 270830 — private: anonymous, unlocated
Anonymous 270830
In plain English
Receipt: 120 liters (2 barig) of dabin flour issued to a man from Šuruppak. The transaction was supervised by Šeš-bad3, the cupbearer, acting as commissioner. Booked under the e2-dumu establishment; Di-Utu was the overseer in charge. Date: the month of the barley harvest. The back of the tablet was left blank — this one entry was the whole record.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 2 barig of dabin-flour, 2. (to) the man of Šuruppak 3. it was given (an-na-šum2). 4. Šeš-bad3, 5. the cupbearer, 6. was its commissioner (maškim). 7. (At/for) the e2-dumu (the 'children's house'); 8. Di-Utu 9. (was) the overseer (nu-banda3). 10. Month: "Barley harvest" (iti še-gur10).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Anonymous 270834 — private: anonymous, unlocated
Anonymous 270834
In plain English
This is a distribution list for drink and food. Three jugs of beer went to Tišida; two jugs of ḫalḫal-beer were issued; then three people — Geme-Ašgi, Bilatum, and Dudaga — each received two jugs of beer and one basket. Lul-e got three drinking jars. On the food side: four ban (roughly 40 liters) of bread made from emmer flour and barley, five ban and five more barley loaves (the recipients' names are broken away), fifteen loaves for Lu-ag, and six loaves for Ur-..., whose name is lost. The reverse carries a few further lines, likely totals, that are too encrusted to read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 3 jugs of beer: Tišida(?); 2. 2 (jugs of) beer: ḫalḫal-beer; 3. 2 (jugs of) beer, 1 basket: Geme-Ašgi; 4. 2(?) (jugs of) beer, 1 basket: Bilatum; 5. 2 (jugs of) beer, 1 basket: Dudaga(?); 6. 3 drinking jars: Lul-e; 7. 4 ban of bread of emmer flour, barley [...]; 8. 5 ban (and) 5 breads of barley [...]; 9. 15 breads: Lu-ag(?); 10. 6 breads: Ur-[...].”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Anonymous 270837 — private: anonymous, unlocated
Anonymous 270837
In plain English
This is a flour-distribution list. Kid-Enlil-gar receives 3 ban of coarse barley flour, Ma'u 4 ban, Ur-šerda 3 ban, a man whose name begins Ur- gets a full barig, Nuna 3 ban, and another (name damaged) 2 ban. One line is too worn to read. The account covers a span noted as seven months, and is dated to the month of the barley harvest. A final entry adds 5 ban for Sipa-nam; the last traces are illegible.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse (col. i) 1. 3 ban of dabin-flour: Kid-Enlil-gar(?), 2. 4 ban: Ma'u, 3. 3 ban: Ur-šerda, 4. 1 barig: Ur-..., 5. 3 ban: Nuna, 6. 2 ban: ... ..., 7. (line illegible: ... ... ... ...) (col. ii) 8. 7 months (or: the 7th month); 9. it is the month of "barley harvest" (še-gur). 10. 5 ban: Sipa-nam, 11. (traces: ... ...)”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Anonymous 271221 — private: anonymous, unlocated
Anonymous 271221
In plain English
Feed ledger for the donkeys. Adda's jenny got 2 ban (about 12 liters) of barley to eat, covering 15 days. A full-grown jenny received a further amount of barley — the figure is broken away — for 18 days. NE-NE's jenny got 1 ban less 1 sila (about 5 liters) for 20 days. Filed in the month UD×PAP — four such (months) counted — in the nineteenth year.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse: 1. 2 ban of barley, fodder, 2. (for) a jenny donkey, 3. (of) Adda; 4. 15 days. 5. [... of barley, fodder,] 6. (for) a full-grown jenny donkey; 7. 20 less 2 (= 18) days. 8. 1 ban less 1 sila of barley, fodder, 9. (for) a jenny donkey, 10. (of) NE-NE; 11. 20 days. Reverse: 12. Month: itix (UD×PAP); there are 4 (of them). 13. 20 less 1 (= 19) years (year 19?).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Anonymous 271222 — private: anonymous, unlocated
Anonymous 271222
In plain English
Issued: two ban (roughly 20 liters) of dates, plus three wooden pegs that had been left over and two more of the same, to Dingir-lugal-iri-bar. A further allotment, for drinking — or perhaps for watering and raising young trees — was given to Lugal-imšul-nu-eš. That's the whole note: quantities out, recipients named, transfer confirmed with the closing word 'it was given.' The tablet's reverse was left blank.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. 2 ban of dates, 2. 3 wooden nig-du (pegs?), left behind, ..., 3. 2 wooden nig-du(?), ..., 4. (for) Dingir-lugal-iri-bar; 5. (for) drinking (and) rearing (or: for watering the saplings), 6. (to) Lugal-imšul-nu-eš 7. it was given (an-na-šum).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry