Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · MM 0401 — Montserrat Museum, Barcelona, Spain
AuOr 09, 148 4
In plain English
The price came to a third of a mina of silver plus five shekels, ten gur of barley, and a talent of sheep's wool — payment for one kunga-equid. The next few lines, which named the people involved, are broken; only the endings of four names survive, then a man called Mama. The list closes by noting that these were the elders, the witnesses to the sale.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1/3 (mina) of silver (and) 5 [shekels]; 2. 10 gur of barley; 3. 1 talent of sheep wool — 4. for the purchase price 5. [of 1] kunga-equid. 6. [......] 7. [......] 8. [......] 9. [......]-ne 10. [......]-nim 11. [......]-ilī 12. [......]-takuna 13. 1: Mama. 14. (These are) the elders.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · MM 0526 — Montserrat Museum, Barcelona, Spain
AuOr 09, 150 6
In plain English
A survey list of farm plots with their holders. Mu-mu is entered for 3 bur 3 iku plus 3 sar of field; Su-ma-ilum for 3 bur 2 eše and 4½ iku; a man whose name ends in -ilī for 1 bur 1 eše. A further entry of about 1 bur heads a group of three more names, all of which are now damaged — one ending in -kani, another in -ilī. Then Lu-erin holds 1 bur 1 eše 1 iku, and Ilum-kal 1 bur 4½ iku. The tablet is an inventory, nothing more: acreage on the left, the man answerable for it on the right.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 3 bur 3 iku, *bur*-field, 3 sar — 2. Mu-mu. 3. 3 bur 2 eše 4½ iku of field — 4. Su-ma-ilum (su₄-ma-dingir). 5. 1 bur 1 eše — [...]-ilī. 6. [n +] 1 bur, *bur*-field — 7. [......]-x, 8. [......]-kani, 9. [......]-ilī. 10. 1 bur 1 eše 1 iku of field — 11. Lu-erin (lu₂-erin₂). 12. 1 bur 4½ iku — Ilum-kal (dingir-kal).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · MM 0560 — Montserrat Museum, Barcelona, Spain
AuOr 09, 152 8
In plain English
Barley issued: about 10 litres (plus an amount now lost) to Bēlī-ṭāb; 60 litres to the governor; 20 litres each to Bubu and Zuzu; 30 litres to Kuku; 10 litres each to Pusu-du, Imtalik, Ur-e, and again to Pusu-du; an unreadable amount to Daruru; 10 litres to Ikrub-il; 20 litres to a name now broken away. One further line is too damaged to read. The tablet closes with a grand total in gur of barley by the standard measure, but the figure itself is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. [n] (and) 1 ban — Bēlī-du₁₀ (Bēlī-ṭāb) 2. 1 barig — the governor (ensi) 3. 2 ban — Bubu 4. 2 ban — Zuzu 5. 3 ban — Kuku 6. 1 ban — Pusu-du₁₀ 7. 1 ban — Imtalik 8. 1 ban — Ur-e 9. 1 ban — Pusu-du₁₀ 10. [n] — Daruru 11. 1 ban — Ikrub-[il] 12. 2 ban — [......] 13. [......]-x-[......] 14. [Total: n] gur of barley, (by the) sag-gal (standard) measure.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CBS 08757 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
BE 01/1, 011
In plain English
The tablet lists garments person by person: twelve for Ekuḫina, eight for Ḫešluḫina, six for Edammu, five for Gimṣiḫina, thirty of a better grade, two for Rabatum, then twenty-three waistcloths across three entries, four of another type, and two sashes. The scribe adds them up: ninety-two garments in all, of mixed kinds — and the arithmetic is exact. The last three lines record the transaction itself: all of this came from the household of AD₂-tu-PI-in, and she handed it over to her associate Eš-ḪAR-rin.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 12 garments: Ekuḫina; 2. 8 garments: Ḫešluḫina; 3. 6 garments: Edammu; 4. 5 garments: Gimṣiḫina; 5. 30 garments: ḪE₂-sag (of first quality?); 6. 2 garments: Rabatum; 7. 10 ib₂-garments (waistcloths): Edammu; 8. 10 ib₂-garments (waistcloths): Ḫešlukina; 9. 3 ib₂-garments (waistcloths): Edammu(?)-u; 10. 4 ḪE₂-DU garments; 11. 2 nig₂-la₂ garments (sashes/bindings); 12. Total: 92 assorted garments. 13. These (are) of the household of AD₂-tu-PI-in; 14. to Eš-ḪAR-rin, her/his companion, 15. she gave (them).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NBC 06893 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 024
In plain English
The field measures 20½ rods across at one end and 22 at the other, and 330 rods down each of its long sides. That works out to an area of four bur3 minus two iku — seventy iku in all. Reckoned at the standard rate of one gur and one barig of barley for every iku, the field should yield 87 gur and 2 barig of grain. The account is entered under the name Amar-ezem; the sign that follows his name cannot be read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 20 1/2 (nindan) — the short side; 22 (nindan) — 2. 330 (nindan) — the long side; 330 (nindan) — 3. its field: 4 bur3 less 2 iku; 4. per 1 iku of field, 1 gur 1 barig of barley each — 5. its barley: 87 gur 2 barig. 6. Amar-ezem [...].”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NBC 06992 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 035
In plain English
A running tally of silver payments. The first two entries — one and a half units, then one shekel for someone whose name is broken off — are damaged. The next shekel is reckoned by the Agade standard. Then: half a shekel, charged to the chief herdsman; a small amount (one measure, a third, and two grains) for the boat; a quarter shekel for the scribe; half a shekel for A-kalam-e; and two shekels for A-ba-Enlil.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 (plus) a half — silver, [......] 2. 1 — silver, (in) shekels, ... [......] 3. 1 — silver, (in) shekels, (of) Agade 4. a half — silver, (in) shekels: (this is) of the chief herdsman 5. silver: 1 |NINDA2׊E|(-unit), 1/3, 2 grains — 6. (this is) of the boat 7. silver: 1/4 (shekel): (this is) of the scribe 8. a half — silver, (in) shekels: A-kalam-e 9. 2 — silver, (in) shekels: 10. A-ba-Enlil”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NBC 07011 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 053
In plain English
Ten shekels of silver for Ama-barage. Two and a half gur of barley, valued at seven and a half shekels of silver. Three shekels of silver for AN-E₂. One chair, valued at one shekel of silver. Four shekels of silver for Lugal-ad-pa-e. The lot was taken away. The tablet gives no grand total and no date — it is a working memorandum, listing each item, each man, and what each was worth in weighed silver.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 10 shekels of silver — 2. Ama-barage; 3. 2½ gur of barley, 4. its silver (equivalent): 7½ shekels; 5. 3 shekels of silver — 6. AN-E₂ (Il-bītim?); 7. 1 chair, 8. its silver (equivalent): 1 shekel; 9. 4 shekels of silver — 10. Lugal-ad-pa-e; 11. (it) was taken away / delivered.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · NBC 06975 — Nies Babylonian Collection, Yale Babylonian Collection, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
BIN 08, 072
In plain English
Oil issued, by weight: six minas less three shekels to the head blacksmith; four minas less one shekel to a man whose name is now broken; four minas less six shekels to En-kur-ša3-še; two and a half minas less four shekels to Di-Utu. Two more entries follow, each marked as going to a recipient whose name survives only in part — one beginning 'Ib-', one beginning with damaged signs. The tablet breaks off after that, so the total and the date, if they were written, are lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 6 minas of oil minus 3 shekels — 2. the chief smith (gal-simug); 3. 4 minas minus 1 [shekel] — 4. [......] 5. ...-su-... ; 6. 4 minas minus 6 shekels — 7. En-kur-ša3-še; 8. 2 1/2 minas minus 4 shekels — 9. Di-Utu; 10. for/to Ib-; 11. for/to ...-UD-GIR2-; 12. [......] (rest destroyed)”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry