Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · CL 220 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 136
In plain English
A consignment of garments was delivered — their total weight was 18 minas and possibly 10 shekels, with a further 4 minas recorded in a badly damaged section. The final readable line confirms the goods were handed over. Who sent them, who received them, and most of the surrounding detail are lost to breakage.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[...] x [...] garment(s)?, delivery/rotation [...] its weight: 18 minas, [1]0(?) shekels x x [...] [x] x [...] [...] 4 mi[nas] [...] [...] was given to him/her [...]”
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 070 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 146
In plain English
Sixty sheep hides, their openings bound and sealed, were handed over by Ki-ni-du₁₀ at Adab — two further details in his entry are now illegible. In a separate note, the hide belonging to Ur-su was brought in from Nita-me-me. The goods were formally issued. This all took place in the month of Mu-tir, recorded against the king's account.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“60 sheep hides, sealed at the opening — Ki-ni-du₁₀, [x x], at Adab gave to him. The hide of Ur-su was brought from Nita-me-me. [It was] drawn/issued. Month: Mu-tir. For the king.”
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 191 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 147
In plain English
Two separate deliveries of sheepskins are noted here. The first brought 233 hides; the second brought 22 — for a combined total of 255. All of them were handed over to Munira (or credited to his named account) by an unnamed official or institution. The transaction was recorded in the month of šu-gar.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“233 sheep hides — first installment; 22 sheep hides — [second installment]; to Munira [lit. 'for his account'], it was given to him. 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 153 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 151
In plain English
Three separate deliveries are logged here. The first batch consisted of roughly twenty-plus sheep hides; the second, twenty-nine hides. The third delivery — whose precise tally of hides is partly damaged — also included sixty-four woven cloaks produced by a weaver. All of these goods were brought into the treasury and officially entered into the records. The whole account is dated to the month of Ab-e3, and this entry marks the third installment.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[20+n] sheep hide(s) — 1st time; 29 hide(s) — 2nd [time]; [n+]2 sheep hide(s); 64 bar-dul5 garments — weaver(s); [at] the treasury: is registered. Month: Ab-e3. 3rd time.”
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 148 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 152
In plain English
The tablet opens with two arithmetic operations: 18 (that is, 20 minus 2) multiplied by 1, and 8 multiplied by 2. Under a heading that marks the running total of what is currently on hand, it then lists 8 leatherworkers and 6 workers of Inanna, followed by 24 of something whose label is illegible. After a marker meaning 'from this amount' or 'out of which,' the same two groups appear again — 6 workers of Inanna and 8 leatherworkers — with a final entry of 2 in a category whose name is too uncertain to render. The rest cannot be determined.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(20 minus 2), times [1] 8 times 2 [total] existing 8 leatherworkers 6 workers of Inanna 24 [x] [x] therefrom 6 workers of Inanna 8 leatherworkers 2 — mu-ni”
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 042 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 153
In plain English
The merchant Ur-Inanna made a delivery of two commodities: 3⅓ mana of a refined quality material, assessed at 6⅔ shekels of silver, and 1⅔ mana of copper, assessed at 2½ shekels of silver. Together those came to exactly 9⅙ shekels. The transaction was recorded in the month of the Barley Harvest.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“3 1/3 mana of quality refined [commodity] — its silver (value): 6 2/3 shekels; 1 2/3 mana of copper — its silver (value): 2 1/2 [shekels]. Total: 9 shekels, 1/6 (shekel). Ur-Inanna, the merchant, delivered (it). Month: Barley Harvest.”
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 229 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 156
In plain English
The tablet lists a group of people — Ur-e2-dam, Lu-dun-a, and Ur-a2 — alongside a temple administrator attached to the Asz8-gi4 institution. Also recorded are Ha-zi-gula, someone whose name begins Lugal- and ends in -zi (the middle sign is lost), a second person named Ha-zi, and someone called Urua. At the top, one individual or item is described with a damaged term that may relate to a weapon or implement 'set in order.' Whoever the responsible official was, the tablet records that he or she gave all of this out. The transaction took place in the month of Du6-ku3. The damaged portions of the text cannot be recovered.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 [item/person] — tukul[(?)], [set right(?)], Ur-e2-dam, Lu-dun-a, Ur-a2; 1 temple administrator (sanga) of Asz8-gi4; [1?] Ha-zi-gula, Lugal-[x]-zi; 1 Ha-zi, Urua — he/she gave it to him/her. Month: Du6-ku3 (the Holy Mound).”
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 049 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 157
In plain English
The storehouse of accumulated goods has received the following: 35 long timber poles, new (the exact count is slightly uncertain due to a damaged sign); 31 long timber poles, old — some of those logged as replacement stock. There are also 37 stripped or plain timbers, 240 wooden pegs, and 60 more pegs that are blunted and have no usable tip. All of this has been entered into the record. Date: the month of the barley harvest.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“35[?] long timbers — new wood. 31 long timbers — old wood; wood [given as] replacement. 37 stripped timbers. 240 pegs. 60 pegs without tips. [Deposited in] the storehouse of accumulated goods: on record. Month: barley-harvest.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-4-6 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-4-6 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry