Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · CL 214 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 004
In plain English
The top of the tablet is too damaged to read in full. What survives there mentions weavers, a building or institution, a commissioner acting on its behalf, and a location at the edge of the city. Clearer toward the bottom, the record identifies I-lum-gar3 as the scribe and names An-na-šum2 twice — once in connection with the scribe's entry and once as a merchant, with a count of one. The final line closes the document with a straightforward statement: a garment has been issued.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[n ...] weaver(s) [...]... [...]-lum [...] house [...] their commissioner [...] bank of the city [n?] I-lum-gar3, scribe — An-na-šum2. 1 merchant: An-na-šum2. A garment has been issued.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-4-6 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-4-6 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 176 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 006
In plain English
This is a sheep-allocation record. The first entry logs 32 (plus an uncertain additional number) sheep associated with a person named Adda. Subsequent entries credit 23 sheep to Inimmanizi, 30 to E2-damsi, and 30 to Ninda. A final partial entry records 8 (plus an unknown further number) for a person whose name is too broken to read. The rest of the tablet is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“32 + [n] sheep Adda [n +] 23 — Inim-ma-ni-zi 30 — E2-dam-si 30 — Nin-da [n +] 8 — [lu2...]-u2-[...] [remainder broken]”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-4-6 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-4-6 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 074 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 009
In plain English
Received (or issued): 11 gur, 1 barig, 1 ban₂ of flour; 25 gur of barley; 3 gur of beer-bread; and — after a gap in the record that is now lost — a further 1 gur and 2 barig of coarse groats. Grand total: 48 gur, 1 barig, 1 ban₂. Accountable official: Annašum.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“11 gur, 1 barig, 1 ban2 of flour 25 gur of barley 3 gur of beer-bread [...] (broken) [n+]1 gur, 2 barig of groats 48 gur, 1 barig, 1 ban2 — grand total Annašum”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-4-6 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-4-6 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 084 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 013
In plain English
This is a short livestock ledger. An uncertain number of goats are attributed to Sag-zi. One goat goes to Ili-ili. Another uncertain number of goats go to someone whose name is only partially legible, ending in '-ba.' One goat is recorded for Ur-tir. Finally, one male sheep is recorded for Ka-ku3, son of Ur-something — his father's name is broken away at the end. The rest of the tablet, if there was more, is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[n] goat(s) — Sag-zi; 1 goat — Ili-ili; [n] goat(s) — [...]-ba; 1 goat — Ur-tir; 1 male sheep — Ka-ku3, son of Ur-[...]”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-4-6 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-4-6 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 265 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 018
In plain English
This is a letter. The sender's name is mostly lost, but it opens with the standard formula: '[Someone] writes — please deliver this message to my lord: The troops have been mustered and put in order. On the fourth day, some died — apparently by mace-blow, though that reading is uncertain. Fifteen troops were [the verb is broken and lost]. The next several lines are too damaged to read. Something is said about the palace. As for the person who has no means — may he bring it.'
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[...]-gu [...]: [Thus] speak: To my lord, say: 'The troops have been set in order. On day 4, [they] perished — mace(?). 15 troops were [...] [...]-na-ga [...] [...] gathered [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] year / name (?) [...] in the palace. A person who has nothing [...] may he bring it.'”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-4-6 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-4-6 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 199 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 020
In plain English
This tablet records the delivery of several items: a silver ring weighing one-third of a mina, a naš-pāru cloth, one high-quality finished garment for the duty rotation, one weaver's garment for the same rotation, two sila of fine oil along with rope, and a measure of bitumen for the building. All of these were associated with a man named Bēlī-il-abā. A further weaver's garment for the duty rotation was brought by Elīšta-kal, described as a lu2-ku official. Together these gleaming goods were delivered to the king.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 silver ring [hu-la] — its weight: 1/3 mina 1 naš-pāru garment 1 first-quality, fully finished garment — (for the) bala rotation 1 weaver's garment — (for the) bala rotation 1 (vessel of) fine oil — 2 sila; (1) rope 1 (unit of) bitumen — for the house (for / by) Bēlī-il-abā 1 weaver's garment — (for the) bala rotation (for / by) Elīšta-kal lu2-ku (official) [the] gleaming ornament(s) [of / for] the king they brought [it/them]”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-4-6 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-4-6 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 323 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 021
In plain English
Ḫulium received: one ceremonial robe, one batch of bitumen for the ox-stall, and one leather bag. [U]ṣium received the same three items. Both men were officials of the nig₂-mul institution, based in Lagaš. They had traveled from Zira, the goods were brought and formally handed over, and the receipt was duly recorded. The transaction took place in the month of Šesagkalga.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 bala-garment, 1 (unit of) bitumen (for) the ox-stall of the house, 1 leather bag — (for) Ḫulium; 1 bala-garment, 1 (unit of) bitumen of the house, 1 leather bag — [U]ṣium; Men of the nig₂-mul (institution), (of) Lagaš, from Zira — they brought [it there]; they received (it). Month: Šesagkalga.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-4-6 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-4-6 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 298 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 023
In plain English
The record lists: one silver spiral ring weighing one-third of a shekel; one garment of the naspārum type; one heavy, finely finished garment; one fine garment in ušbar-weave; one one-sila3 jar of sweet oil; an uncertain quantity of bitumen designated for the storehouse; and an uncertain number of gur-measures of barley destined for (or received from) Agade. The final lines are too broken to read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[1] silver ring, spiral, its weight: 1/3 (shekel) 1 garment of naspārum-type 1 heavy garment, perfectly finished 1 fine garment, ušbar-weave 1 [1-sila3 vessel of] sweet oil [n unit(s) of] bitumen, house-[allotment] [n] gur of barley, (for/at) Agade [...]”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-4-6 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-4-6 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry