Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · CL 244 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 208
In plain English
This tablet is a stock list from a textile workshop. It records cloaks and wool handed out to a group of people — a weaver, and named individuals including Mamummi, Geme-Enlil, Aštar (with six shekels of silver noted alongside), Tania, Nin-adgal, someone called Nigbanda, Nin-nigzu, and Sebetum — each credited with a quantity, mostly one or two units. A closing note explains that these garments are on hand, drawn from the wool supply, and the whole account is dated to the month of Ab-eziga. Several lines are broken, so a few names and numbers are only partly legible.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“2 bar-dul5 garments: the weaver — 1 (each) Mamummi 2 (units): Geme-Enlil 6 (units): Aštar; 6 (shekels?) silver 1: Tania — 1 1: Nin-adgal — 1 (...): Nigbanda [...] [n], 1: Nin-nigzu — 1 1: Sebetum Garments that are on hand (in stock) — they are from the wool (stores). Month: Ab-e'zi-ga.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 312 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 209
In plain English
This is a grain ledger. It opens with a now-broken total figure of barley, then lists what different people received or supplied: Mama-ummi's entry (amount lost), 2 gur 2 barig for Nin-nigzu, 5 units for Aštar, 2 gur for Tani, 2 gur for Nin-adgal, 3 gur for Nig-banda, 2 gur for someone whose name is broken away, and finally 1 gur 2 barig either given to or received from a person named Menigin. In short: a simple bookkeeping tally of barley moving in or out of a household or storehouse, name by name.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[n] gur of barley: Mama-ummi; 2 gur 2 barig: Nin-nigzu; 5 (units): Aštar; 2 gur: Tani; 2 gur: Nin-adgal; 3 gur: Nig-banda; 2 gur: Nin-[...] (name broken); 1 gur 2 barig: from Menigin.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 121 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 211
In plain English
This tablet is a payroll slip. Eight people — Mamumi, Nin-nig, Aštar, Tani, Nin-adgal, Nig-banda, Nin-nigzu, and Me-niginta — each received a measured share of fine flour, ranging from small amounts (30 liters) up to about 180 liters. Added together, the flour came to just over 3 gur (roughly 900+ liters), and the record notes that this total was extra stock kept on hand for the wool-workers' unit. The entry is dated to the month of Duku. As with many such accounts, the individual amounts and the stated total don't perfectly reconcile — likely due to a damaged or unlisted line — but the overall picture is a straightforward flour distribution to institutional staff.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 barig 2 ban 5 sila of fine flour: Mamumi. 3 barig: Nin-nig. 2 barig 4 ban: Aštar. 1 barig: Tani. 2 barig: Nin-adgal. 1 barig 2 ban 5 sila: Nig-banda. 3 ban: Nin-nigzu. [4 ban]: Me-niginta. Total: 3 gur 4 ban of fine flour, being the surplus (outside the main account), [at the disposal of] the wool-workers. Month: Duku.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 223 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 212
In plain English
Two top-quality wool garments and one weaver's-grade garment, weighing six minas in total, are recorded against Beli-mēn. Then come some more garments of the nig-lam type — the quantity and most of this section are broken away — with a weight that's also lost. The goods were handed over to (or received back from) a person or office called Ezi. The whole transaction was logged in a month called GAN-eš-gar-šugar, a local calendar name used at Adab.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“2 ḫaluam-garments, first-quality/head-type, 1 ḫaluam-garment, weaver's-type — their weight: 6 minas — (for) Beli-mēn. [n] nig-lam garments [...] [...] their weight: [n] minas — (from) Ezi, returned / received back. Month: 'GAN-eš-gar-šugar.'”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 166 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 214
In plain English
This record logs three batches of cloaks, ten in each batch, made by weavers. The first ten cloaks weigh 47 minas total and are logged under Nin-ikuša. The second ten weigh 35 minas, credited to Šu-imduga. The third ten weigh 36 minas, credited to Kešmen. It reads like a warehouse tally sheet — quantities, weights, and the names of the people accountable for each lot.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“10 bar-dul5 cloaks, weaver's work, their weight: 50 minus 3 (= 47 minas) — Nin-ikuša. 10 bar-dul5 cloaks, weaver's work, weight: 35 (minas) — Šu-imduga. 10 bar-dul5 cloaks, weaver's work, their weight: 36 (minas) — Kešmen.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 123 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 216
In plain English
Fifteen bar-dul5 cloaks, under the authority of the king's majordomo, were handed over to the head fuller — likely so he could clean or finish them, possibly for use in a street ceremony. Lugal-itida served as the official who supervised the handover. The transaction was recorded in the month of Ab-e-ziga.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“15 bar-dul5 garments — (the concern of) the majordomo of the king — to the man, the chief fuller, were given (to him). Garment(s) for/within the street. Lugal-itida (was) its commissioner. Month: Ab-e-ziga.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 029 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 217
In plain English
The storehouse records 21 níg-lá garments and 20 šagadu-garments — the latter counted as property or assets — along with a separate batch of garments belonging to a man named Kimura. All of it is logged as on deposit in the storehouse. The garments were then handed over to a man named Lugal-ka. The transaction is dated to the harvest month.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“21 níg-lá garments, 20 šagadu-garments — property/assets, garments of Kimura — they are on deposit (on record). To Lugal-ka he gave (them). Month: "Harvest (of grain)".”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 170 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 218
In plain English
Three cloaks made from regular wool were issued to the chief steward. A further batch of cloaks, made from fine lambswool cloth, was also issued to him. These were then handed over to a man named Lugal-amah. The transaction was recorded in the month of Duku.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“3 bar-dul5 cloaks (of) the chief steward (szabra) — it is from wool. [n] bar-dul5 cloaks (of) the chief steward (szabra) — it is cloth from the belly(-wool) of a lamb. To Lugal-amah he gave (them). Month: Duku.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry