Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · CL 035 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 024
In plain English
One silver ring — unraveled, weighing a third of a shekel. One fine garment of the naṣparu variety. One second-quality garment of the bala category. These passed through Enna-num, a coppersmith, in connection with the king's statue — the remaining details of who carried them or exactly how they moved are damaged beyond confident reading. Total: garments issued and disbursed. Dated to the month of the Sacred Mound.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 silver ring, unraveled — its weight: 1/3 shekel. 1 garment of naṣparu-type. 1 garment, second-quality, bala(-type). Enna-num, coppersmith — for the king's statue; [having come with it?] [An-mu?] — garments expended. Month: du6-ku3 (the Sacred Mound).”
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 136 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 025
In plain English
This is an itemized delivery record. It begins with an uncertain number of garments of the nāsparu type (the count is damaged and lost). Then: two fine-grade garments of second quality; two šagadu garments of second quality; two šage-dab garments. Also issued: one small jar of good oil measuring one sila (roughly one liter), and one unit of bitumen allocated to a household or building. The closing note records that all of this was dispatched on official orders and delivered to its recipient — though the last line is only partially preserved and the exact wording is uncertain.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[n] garment(s), nāsparu type 2 garments, fine-grade (nig₂-lam₂), second quality 2 garments, šagadu type, second quality 2 garments, šage-dab type 1 (jar of) good oil, 1-sila measure 1 (unit of) bitumen, house-allocation his/her command: [was given to him?]”
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 165 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 026
In plain English
The estate distributed ten mana of wool, a sila each of sesame oil and lard, and a unit of bitumen as the household ration — all under the care of Al-la, the estate steward. Puzur-Enlil, the officer responsible for barley, then gave him an additional sila of sesame oil. The record closes with the standard sign-off: 'Oil — disbursed.' Dated to the month of mu-tir.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“10 mana of wool, 1 sila of sesame oil, 1 sila of lard, 1 [unit of] bitumen — house ration: Al-la, the steward of the household. 1 sila of sesame oil: Puzur-Enlil, the barley commissioner, gave [it] to him. Oil: disbursed. Month: mu-tir.”
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 287 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 027
In plain English
Issued from stores: 10 minas of wool; 1 sila of sesame oil and garlic; 1 unit of bitumen from the house supplies. The gardener Ur-Gibil — [the middle passage is too damaged to read in full] — came and received these goods; they were handed over to him. The oil is recorded as formally drawn from the account. Responsible official: Lugal-amu. Date: the month of mu-tir.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“10 minas of wool; 1 sila of sesame oil [and] garlic; 1 (unit) of bitumen — house ration. Ur-Gibil, the gardener, [...] small, small [...]; [came] to him; [he] gave to him. The oil is the expenditure. Lugal-amu. Month: mu-tir.”
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 026 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 029
In plain English
Two woolen cloaks were issued to the weaver, along with 2 sila of pig fat. The designated recipients were Lu-ane, a temple official, and Ursu, the cupbearer; a commissioner oversaw the whole transaction. An additional two cloaks went to the weaver, and an unspecified number more — the tablet is broken here — to the estate manager. The completed account was sealed and handed over to Amur-um. Date: the month of Šuba-nun. Classification: a garment disbursement.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“2 bar-dul5-cloaks — weaver; 2 sila of pig fat: Lu-ane, the nu-eš (cultic functionary), Ursu, the cupbearer — their commissioner. 2 bar-dul5-cloaks — weaver; [X] bar-dul5-cloak(s) — šabra (estate manager). Sealed account — to Amur-um he gave [it] to him. Month: Šuba-nun. It is a garment disbursement.”
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 193 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 031
In plain English
This is a record of supplies issued from institutional stores. Three liters of oil and one garment went to Naspāru; two liters of oil and fifteen leather gu-tum items followed. Two entries in the middle are illegible. One liter of oil was allocated to Da-da's chariot — most likely as axle lubricant — and half a liter to Du-du and Pīrāum. The document closes with a formal certification: 'oil expenditure — that is the name of this record.'
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“3 sila of oil; 1 garment — Naspāru; 2 sila of oil; 15 leather gu-tum items; [x x — illegible]; 1 sila of oil (signs damaged); chariot of Da-da; ½ sila of oil; Du-du; Pīrāum — oil expenditure: this is its designation.”
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 262 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 032
In plain English
A quantity of fine-grade oil from Agade — the opening number is damaged and cannot be read — plus one container from the storehouse, was handed over to Da-kum, the brother of Ur-Marada. This is logged as an official oil expenditure. The transaction took place in the barley-harvest month.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[n (units of)] sweet oil [from Aga]de — 1 [vessel?] from the storehouse — Da-kum, brother of Ur-Marada, was given to him. Oil expenditure. [Month:] [barley-har]vest.”
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 228 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 033
In plain English
A certain quantity of fine oil and garlic was allocated to Gu-zi, an official of the uz-ga rank. One liter of pig fat went to Da-di, the steward of the temple. The next lines, which probably recorded a destination or delivery route, are too damaged to read. The tablet closes with confirmation that the goods were handed over to him.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[n sila3 of] fine oil; [n sila3 of] garlic — Gu-zi, the uz-ga official; 1 sila3 of pig fat — Da-[di], steward of the [temple]; [...] for/to [...]; [came / was brought ...], [...] (it) was given to him.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-4-6 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-4-6 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry