Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · CL 007 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 230
In plain English
Half a shekel of silver was brought by Nin-nigzu — described as goods already delivered — and paid out to Dada the smith, in connection with two wagons built for the estate; the rest of that line is too broken to read. In a second, parallel entry, another half shekel of silver was brought by Teni-shazu and paid out to Ur-Ninmug, presumably also a smith. Together the two entries record wages or payments in silver made to metalworkers for their work.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1/2 shekel of silver: Nin-nigzu — the delivered goods — he brought (it). Dada, the smith, (for) 2 wagons of the estate, [...] — it was weighed out to him. 1/2 shekel of silver: Teni-šazu brought (it). (To) Ur-Ninmug it was weighed out.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 014 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 231
In plain English
Twelve and a third units of garlic, weighing three minas and thirty-five and a half shekels in total, were checked back in — received and accounted for — from Dada the smith. The transaction was recorded in the harvest month.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“12 1/3 (units of) garlic — its weight: 3 minas, 35 1/2 shekels. Returned to hand (received/accounted for). Dada, the smith. Month: ŠE-ŠE-kin (harvest month).”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 093 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 232
In plain English
This is a receipt: 64 units of garlic or onion, weighing 16 and a half minas and 4 shekels, were handed over and accounted for. The recipient was Dada, a metalsmith. The transaction was recorded in the month known as 'barley-harvest.'
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“64 (units of) garlic/onion — its weight: 16 1/2 minas, 4 shekels. Received (lit. 'returned to hand'). Dada, the smith. Month: 'barley-harvest' (sze-sag11-ku5).”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-05-28/v6-glossary-aware) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 001 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 234
In plain English
This tablet is a small receipt or tally sheet. It lists garlic (or possibly onions) handed out under the supervision of an overseer: 16 units go to or through the overseer himself, 9 units are recorded under an entry that's hard to read clearly, and 10 units each go to three men named Ur-Ašgi, Lugal-ezem, and Lugal-uri. The scribe adds it all up to 55 units total, notes that the account has been settled ('returned to hand' — meaning received and checked off), and signs off again with the overseer's title to confirm who was responsible for the transaction.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“16 garlic(-units) — the overseer (nu-banda3). 9(?) — mu-ta(?). 10 — Ur-Ašgi. 10 — Lugal-ezem. 10 — Lugal-uri. Total: 55 garlic(-units). Returned to hand (received/accounted for). The overseer (nu-banda3).”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 073 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 235
In plain English
This tablet is a workshop account. It lists three lots of bronze items: four pieces trimmed or fitted with gold, weighing 1 mana total; nineteen pieces with silver, weighing an unclear amount ending in 4 mana (the tens digit is broken away); and thirty plain bronze/copper pieces weighing 15 mana. The record notes that these were received and accounted for by Dada, the smith. It was recorded in the month called 'Garden' (Nig-kiriak).
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“4 (units) bronze, gold — their weight: 1 mana. 19 (units) bronze, silver — their weight: [...]+4 mana. 30 (units) bronze, copper-bronze — their weight: 15 mana. "Returned to hand" (received/accounted for): Dada, he is the smith. Month: "Nig-kiri" (Garden-month).”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 096 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 238
In plain English
Dada disbursed one shekel of silver connected to the household of the išib-priest of Enki and to another household (the exact commodity or purpose is unclear), earmarked for an official called the sagšu. A further five shekels of silver were recorded for some purpose that is now lost to a break in the tablet. Dada also gave two shekels of silver to the merchant Ur-Inanna, apparently tied to a long wooden pole or spear. A closing note states that this silver was the property of, or came from, a storage container that had been set aside — essentially a note on the source of the funds.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 shekel of silver — (for) the house of the išib-priest of Enki, the house of the ...-thing, for the sagšu (official): Dada gave (it) to him. 5 shekels of silver — [...]-kam (broken; destination or purpose lost). 2 shekels of silver — (for) Ur-Inanna, the merchant, for the gu2 of the long-wood (pole/spear): Dada gave (it) to him. The silver (is) the property of the za-ha-container, (that had been) placed/deposited.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 133 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 243
In plain English
This is a brief disbursement record. It lists: 1 unit of some item called 'mud' for a person named Gigir-nigšu; 2 units for Dada; 4 units for a person whose name is only partly legible (U?); and 4 more units for another partly legible name (Girizi?). The tablet then names a few more people — An-gu-[...], Ur-Inanna, and Lu-edin-gur — who may be additional recipients, witnesses, or the responsible officials, before closing with the standard formula confirming that the goods 'were given' to them.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 (unit) mud — Gigir-nigšu (?) 2 (units) — Dada 4 (units) — U(?) 4 (units) — Girizi(?) An-gu-[x x] Ur-Inanna Lu-edin-gur he gave (it) to him/them (mu-na-šum2).”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 094 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 245
In plain English
The record tallies 255 sheep hides. Thirty of them, plus a further quantity of some other unit called 'su-si,' were handed over to a man named Ur-a, and the rest went to someone named He-dabra. The total is checked and confirmed at 255 hides. At the bottom, the tablet notes that this entry was recorded by a scribe, though his name is now broken off.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[4(gešʼ×60)] 10 5 [hides of] sheep (= 255 sheep hides) He-dabra — were given (to him). 30 hides of sheep — Ur-a — 30 su-si — were given (to him). Total: 255 hides of sheep. Its designation: (by) the scribe [...].”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry