Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · CL 081 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 279
In plain English
This tablet lists female laborers by name, one entry per line, evidently part of a household or institutional roster. It records: one worker named Mama-ummi; one named Geme-Enlil; one named Aštar; one named Tani; one named Nin-adgal; two workers grouped under the name (or title) Nin-nigzu; and three workers listed simply under the category 'nig2-banda3,' likely a term for junior or subordinate staff rather than individual names. No totals or further context (such as rations issued or a supervising official) survive on this fragment.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 female worker: Mama-ummi. 1 female worker: Geme-Enlil. 1 female worker: Aštar. 1 female worker: Tani. 1 female worker: Nin-adgal. 2 female workers: Nin-nigzu. 3 (workers): nig2-banda3 (subordinate/junior personnel).”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 164 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 281
In plain English
This tablet is a short list of names, each paired with a number: Mama gets 1, Geme-Enlil's number is missing or broken, Aštar gets 3, Nin-adgal gets 2, Tani gets 1, Nig-banda gets 1, and Sebetum gets 1. It reads like a simple roster or distribution record — seven people, each assigned a quantity of something — but the tablet doesn't tell us what that something is, since no commodity or unit word survives in the text we have.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 (unit) — Mama () — Geme-Enlil 3 (units) — Aštar 2 (units) — Nin-adgal 1 — Tani 1 — Nig-banda 1 — Sebetum”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 226 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 282
In plain English
This is a short ration list. Hubbi, a newly assigned female worker under the junior official (the nigbanda), is issued 1 barig of grain. Meki-[...], associated with a woman named Nin-adgal, receives 1 barig. Šebetum receives 1 barig on her own. And Ezi, linked to a woman called Geme-Enlil, also receives 1 barig. It reads like a fragment torn from a larger payroll sheet — the routine bookkeeping of grain handed out to women laborers at Adab.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 barig(@c): Hubbi(-bi2) — new female worker, (of) the nigbanda-official. 1 barig(@c): Meki-[...], Nin-adgal. 1 barig(@c): Šebetum. 1 barig(@c): Ezi — Geme-Enlil.”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 125 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 285
In plain English
This tablet is a payroll ledger for grain rations. Eighty-four women receive one barig of barley each; three men receive one barig and two ban2 each. Various groups of boys and girls get smaller shares — a barig, two ban2, or just one ban2 for nursing infants — and the list is split into two rosters: the 'old' (established) dependents and the 'new' children recently added to the household's books. After the children come specialist workers: two fullers (launderers) and seven workers of another type each draw one barig two ban2, a single doorkeeper is also recorded, and a further pair of fullers at a higher grade close out the account under the heading 'the chief fuller.' In short, it's a detailed staff-feeding record from a large Akkadian-period institution at Adab, breaking rations down by age, sex, tenure, and job.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 84 female laborers (geme2): 1 barig (each) 2. 3 male laborers (gurusz): 1 barig 2 ban2 3. 3(+n) boys (dumu-nita): 1 barig 4. 4 boys (dumu-nita): 2 ban2 5. 2 girls (dumu-munus): 2 ban2 6. 7 suckling boys (dumu-nita-ga): 1 ban2 7. 6 suckling girls (dumu-munus-ga): 1 ban2 8. "(These are) the old (ones)" — libir-me 9. 42 boys (dumu-nita): 1 barig 10. 5 suckling boys (dumu-nita-ga): 1 ban2 11. 4 suckling girls (dumu-munus-ga): 1 ban2 12. "(These are) the new children" — dumu gibil-me 13. 2 fuller-men (lu2 azlag2): 1 barig 2 ban2; 7 SIG7 za3-szu4 (workers): 1 barig 2 ban2; 1 doorkeeper (i3-du8) 14. 2 fuller-men (lu2 azlag2), 10 SIG7 (grade/unit): 1 barig 2 ban2 15. "(These are entries for) the chief fuller" — lu2 azlag2-gal”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 318 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 286
In plain English
This is a simple headcount list. It records, one by one: Ur-sudda (damaged, reading uncertain) — one; E-zi — one; a man whose name is hard to read, something like Ulu-digal — one; and Gala-mah, the chief lament-singer — one. Then comes a supervisory note: 'overseer of the chief lament-singer,' marking the person in charge of the group that follows. Three more men are then tallied, one each: Lugal-lu, Lugal-kura, and Ur-li. The list ends with the name Utu-amu, but that line is broken, so we can't tell if a number originally stood before it.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1(asz@c) Ur-sud(a)?# [name partially damaged] 1(asz@c) E-zi 1(asz@c) Ulu-digal# [complex sign, reading uncertain] 1(asz@c) Gala-mah ("chief lament-singer") Overseer of the chief lament-singer 1(asz@c) Lugal-lu 1(asz@c) Lugal-kura 1(asz@c) Ur-li Utu-[a]-mu# [line broken, numeral not preserved]”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 252 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 287
In plain English
This tablet tallies five craftsmen working at Adab. Ugudu and Ur-kalga are listed as leatherworkers, under an overseer connected to the gala (a class of cultic singers, or possibly a man named Gala). Amu is named as a carpenter. Urmes and Elala are recorded as smiths, working under an overseer named Dada. The scribe closes with a summary: five men in total, all belonging to the craft-workshop personnel (geš-kin-ti).
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 (man): Ugu-du 1 (man): Ur-kalga overseer of the gala (lament-singers) they are leatherworkers (aszgab) 1 (man): A-mu (a) carpenter (nagar) 1 (man): Ur-mes 1 (man): E-lala they are smiths (simug) overseer: Da-da Total: 5 men — craft-workshop personnel (geš-kin-ti)”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 159 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 289
In plain English
This tablet is a workers' list. Three men — Da-[x]-ban, Amar-šuba, and Nig-naga — are recorded, one each, as smiths. Two more men, Lugal-engar-zi and Lu-banda, are listed as carpenters. Finally, three more men — Inim-mani-zi, Lugal-lu, and Aba-Enlil — are recorded as reed-workers (the ending of this last profession label is broken off the tablet). It reads like a simple headcount of craftsmen, probably compiled for labor assignment or rationing purposes by a temple or institutional administration.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1(aš@c) Da-[x]-ban, 1(aš@c) Amar-šuba, 1(aš@c) Nig₂-na-ga — smith(s). 1(aš@c) Lugal-engar-zi, 1(aš@c) Lu₂-banda₃ — they are carpenters. 1(aš@c) Inim-ma-ni-zi, 1(aš@c) Lugal-lu, 1(aš@c) A-ba-Enlil — they are reed-worker(s) [...].”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CL 132 — Carl L. Lippmann Collection, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
Lippmann Coll 290
In plain English
This tablet is a short labor roster. It lists workers one by one — A-geštin, supervised by the foreman Ur-a; then Imta and Kar-gag, who fall under the supervision connected to the gala-priest's office; then Lugal-lu and Šeš-gula, identified as woodworkers or sawyers; and finally Dudu, a leatherworker, counted individually. Each person is tallied as '1,' suggesting this is a simple headcount or work-assignment list rather than a ration or wage record with quantities of goods.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 (each): A-geštin overseer: Ur-a 1 (each): Imta 1 (each): Kar-gag overseer: (of) the gala (lament-singer) 1 (each): Lugal-lu 1 (each): Šeš-gula — woodworkers/sawyers (geš-šu-ri-ri-me) 1 (each): Dudu, the leatherworker”
Source: engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-sonnet-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry