Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · CL 188 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 090
In plain English
One full jar of oil, short by two sila, went to the temple administrator of the god Ašgi. A separate allotment of fifteen sila of oil was distributed to Ur-er[...], with Ur-Su listed as the supervising commissioner for that transaction. One additional jar was assigned to Ur-Ur, and Ga-eš₈ and A-rum₂-[...] are recorded as having made a delivery. The opening entry — one GUR of something, linked to A-aš₂-[...] — is too damaged to read in full.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 GUR [...] A-aš₂-[...] 1 jar, minus 2 sila, of oil — the sanga-priest of Ašgi; 15 sila of oil for Ur-er[...]: (the oil) was distributed. Ur-Su: his commissioner. 1 jar — Ur-Ur; Ga-eš₈, A-rum₂-[x]: was delivered.”
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 033 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 092
In plain English
A number of oil jars — each holding 2⅓ sila — went to Nam-mahni; how many is lost where the tablet is broken. One jar of oil was issued to Nimgir-abzu, the herald of the Abzu. Another jar, again of 2⅓ sila, went to Iggi. Finally, 11 sila of oil was allocated to Karkar. The opening quantity in the first entry is missing.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[n] oil jar(s), 2⅓ sila [each] — Nam-mahni. 1 oil jar — Nimgir-abzu. 1 oil jar, 2⅓ sila — Iggi. 11 sila of oil — Karkar.”
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 241 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 096
In plain English
One jar of sesame oil, worth 2 shekels of silver. One garment — the precise type is damaged and unclear — worth half a shekel of silver. The scribe Lugal-itida is identified as the key party; someone gave these items to him (or he gave them to another person — the tablet names him but leaves the giver unstated). A brief, businesslike record of a two-item transaction, the kind of everyday paperwork that kept the temples and merchants of ancient Adab running.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 jar of sesame oil — its price: 2 shekels of silver; 1 garment of [nig2-su] type — its price: ½ shekel of silver. His title: scribe — Lugal-itida. (He/she) gave [it] 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 103 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 098
In plain English
The tablet records a tree count across several named gardens. One sweet-barley plant, one poplar, and four conifers are assigned to a local dignitary. One more poplar belongs to the orchard of Urtu-asz8gi4. Two sweet-barley plants are in the orchard of the asz8-gi4 institution, and six more grow in the orchard of the god Enlil. A brief, matter-of-fact inventory of living trees held across temple and private garden estates in one small district of ancient Adab.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 sze-du10 1 poplar 4 u3-suh5 — [belonging to] his eminence 1 poplar — orchard of Urtu-asz8gi4 2 sze-du10 — orchard of asz8-gi4 6 sze-du10 — orchard of Enlil”
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 146 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 099
In plain English
This is a garden inventory, organized by plot-holder. Ur-Gibil's garden contains three hum-and-mes trees and ten zarda trees currently lying flat — almost certainly newly transplanted stock. Ur-Ninpirig's garden holds two small asznan-gam trees and two cedars planted along the boundary. Three more boundary cedars belong to Ur-su; Ur-sudda has two hum-and-mes trees; Lugal-karre holds two trees of a type the damage has made unreadable. The final entry — also partly lost — seems to record the proper name for one of the species listed above.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“3 hum-trees (and) mes-trees, 10 zarda-trees, lying, [garden of] Ur-Gibil(?): 2 asznan-gam(-trees), small, 2 cedar, bordering, [garden of] Ur-Ninpirig: 3 cedar, bordering — Ur-su: 2 hum-trees (and) mes-trees — Ur-sudda: 2 [...]-ma trees — Lugal-karre: the ab-[...]-tree — it is its name.”
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 211 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 103
In plain English
Over forty bundles of large reeds and twenty-seven (or thereabouts) of small reeds were received and recorded. They were delivered by Lugal-ma-gur8, a man from Ur. The transaction falls under the authority of Lugal-a-mu, governor, and was written up in the month of Šu-gar. The exact opening quantities are damaged and can only be partially read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[x+]42 [bundles of] large reeds; [x+]27 bundles of small reeds. Lugal-ma-gur8, man of Ur, who brought (them). Lugal-a-mu, governor. Month: Šu-gar.”
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 056 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 106
In plain English
Lu-Inanna, a reed-craftsman, delivered 8 bundles of reeds. Inim-mani-zi delivered 6 more. The combined total of 14 bundles was returned to the account of Enlil-la, the official in charge of the reed beds. The transaction was recorded in the month of the Akiti festival.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“8 bundles of reeds — Lu-Inanna, the reed-craftsman, delivered. 6 — Inim-mani-zi delivered. Total: 14 bundles of reeds, returned to hand. [Credited to] Enlil-la, the man of the reed thicket. Month: Akiti.”
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 272 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 111
In plain English
Two large consignments of twisted thread are logged here: 1,230 units for the chief lamentation priest's office, and 990 units for the Ezi institution at Karkar — both falling under the responsibility of the overseer of the chief lamentation priests. The bottom line is that this thread is recorded as a shortfall: it has not been delivered or accounted for and is still outstanding. The record is dated to the month of Ab-éziga.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1,230 (units of) twisted thread — (for the) chief lamentation priest. 990 (units of) twisted thread — (for) Ezi; Karkar — (under the) overseer of the chief lamentation priests. The thread: it is a deficit. Month: Ab-éziga.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-4-6 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-4-6 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry