Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · AO 11273 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
MAD 4, 035
In plain English
This is a grain account: twenty gur of barley (standard measure) are booked to Gurgulum; six each to Kaku and to Dada, son of Kar; and five each to Baragani the forester, Dudu of Ki-til, Kaše, Ur-e the household overseer, Lugal-DU, and Ur-lu the brewer. The clerk totals it at fifty-two gur of barley, states that it belongs to the forest establishment of Ur-Suen, and records that the grain is currently held on deposit with these men. The closing date — year and month — is too damaged to read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“20 gur (damaged numeral), in the sag-gal-ku (measure) — Gurgulum; 6 (gur): KA-ku (Kaku); 6 (gur): Dada, son of Kar; 5 (gur): Baragani, the man of the forest (forester); 5 (gur): Dudu, (of) Ki-til; 5 (gur): Kaše; 5 (gur): Ur-e, overseer of the house(hold); 5 (gur): Lugal-DU; 5 (gur): Ur-lu, the brewer; Total: 52 gur of barley in the sag-gal-ku (measure). It is (grain) of the forest(-establishment) of Ur-Suen; it is on deposit with them. ... year, ... month (date traces, broken).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 11275 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
MAD 4, 037
In plain English
Status memo. One man, Šeš-sipa, is currently staying at Nanna-ezua's place, and Dugani is living there with him. One copper kettle is in Lu-nimgir's keeping. Three gur of barley (measured by the saggal standard — several hundred liters) are in the custody of Ama-nanam, the wife of Lugal-nigdu. The note closes by labeling itself a record kept under his protection — essentially a receipt showing who is holding what, and where, until it is called in.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 (man): Šeš-sipa — he dwells with Nanna-ezua; Dugani lives with him. 1 šen-kettle (copper vessel) is with Lu-nimgir. 3 gur of barley in the saggal-measure are with Ama-nanam, wife of Lugal-nigdu. It is a tablet of his protection (lit. 'his shade').”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 11277 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
MAD 4, 038
In plain English
This is a livestock ledger. Ur-Šara's herd: an unknown number of full-grown cows (the figure is broken off), some three-year-old and two-year-old cows, two two-year-old bull calves, and three calves still nursing at their mothers' side. Ur-Suen's herd: three full-grown cows, one two-year-old cow, and three nursing calves. All of these animals are being boarded with the cowherd Ur-Nin-ildu, and the arrangement runs for one year and four months. The opening quantities are lost where the tablet is damaged.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. [...] full-grown cow(s), 2. [...] three-(year-old) cow(s), 3. [...] two-(year-old) cow(s), 4. 2 two-(year-old) bull calves, 5. 3 calves at (their mothers') side — 6. (these) are Ur-Šara's. 7. 3 full-grown cows, 8. 1 two-(year-old) cow, 9. 3 calves at (their mothers') side — 10. (these) are Ur-Suen's. 11. With Ur-Nin-ildu, the cowherd, 12. they are living (i.e., are kept at pasture). 13. 1 year, 4 months.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 11280 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
MAD 4, 041
In plain English
This is an IOU-style account. Ama-e'a has the following on credit with the scribe Šada: eleven liters of white cedar oil, two and three-quarter liters of fine aromatic oil, ten minas (about five kilos) of white cedar resin, ten gur of barley and one gur of garlic in the standard large measure, ten loaves of beer-bread, ten linen headbands, five polished hides, and one complete set of gear for a plow ox. In short: Šada the scribe owes Ama-e'a all of the above.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 11 sila of white cedar oil, 2. 3 minus one-quarter (= 2 3/4) sila of oil of fine (lit. "very small") aromatics, 3. 10 minas of white cedar (resin), 4. 10 gur of barley (in the saĝĝal-gur measure), 5. 1 gur of garlic (in the saĝĝal-gur measure), 6. 10 (units of) beer-bread, 7. 10 linen headbands, 8. 5 polished (lit. "shining") hides, 9. 1 complete set of equipment for a plow-ox — 10. Ama-e'a 11. with Šada, the scribe, 12. has (these on account).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 11284 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
MAD 4, 045
In plain English
This is a feed-and-grain account. Roughly 32 gur and 2 barig of barley, measured by the saggal standard, were received by Nin-mes. Seven gur of barley went as fodder for the donkeys. Three gur and 4 ban of barley were used to feed the oxen belonging to A-nimgirza's weaving operation, booked under Lugal-tir; a further 2 ban of barley fed the same oxen of A-nimgirza's weaving operation, booked under Ur-Nin-ildu.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“32(?) gur 2 barig of barley (in) the saggal-gur (measure) — Nin-mes received (it). 7 gur of [barley]: barley consumed by the donkeys (fodder). 3 gur 4 ban₂ of barley: barley consumed by the oxen of the weaving(-establishment?) of A-nimgirza — (responsible:) Lugal-tir. 2 ban₂ of barley: barley consumed by the oxen, (of) the weaving(-establishment?) of A-nimgirza — (responsible:) Ur-Nin-ildu.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 11285 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
MAD 4, 046
In plain English
An inventory of small livestock by keeper: the cattle barn holds 11 mother ewes and 17 mother goats. Igi-nin has 1 ewe and 8 goats; Utu-hili has about 2 ewes and an unreadable number of goats; Nigar has some ewes and 3 goats; Ur-Utu's figures are too damaged to read; Ur-li has some ewes and 5 goats. Several of the numerals are broken away, but the format is clear — each pair of lines gives the animal counts, then the person responsible for them.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“11 mother ewes, 20 minus 3 (= 17) mother nanny goats: the ox-house (é-gu₄, the cattle barn/estate). 1 ewe, 8 nanny goats: Igi-nin. 2(?) ewes, [x] nanny goats: Utu-ḫili. [x] ewes, 3 nanny goats: Nigar. [x] ewes, [x] nanny goats: Ur-Utu. [x] ewes, 5 nanny goats: Ur-li.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 11286 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
MAD 4, 047
In plain English
This is a flour distribution list. Tašlul received 4 ban (roughly 40 liters), Ur-du 3 ban, Nig-dudu 2 ban, and five others — Eš-lil, Nana, Ummimi, AN-malu, and Šeša — 1 ban each. The clerk totals it correctly at 2 barig and 2 ban of flour (14 ban in all, reckoned in the standard gur capacity system) and closes the account with the note that this flour has been booked out as an expenditure, with Šeša named as the responsible party.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 4 ban of flour — Tašlul; 2. 1 ban — Eš-lil; 3. 3 ban — Ur-du; 4. 2 ban — Nig-dudu; 5. 1 ban — Nana; 6. 1 ban — Ummimi; 7. 1 ban — AN-malu; 8. 1 ban — Šeša. 9. Total: 2 barig 2 ban of flour (in the gur system). 10. Flour expended (zi-ga); 11. (under) Šeša.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 11288 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
MAD 4, 049
In plain English
Grain ledger: 41 gur of barley, measured by the standard large gur, booked to Ur-ab; 38 gur of barley booked to Lugal-sag. This is threshed barley from the irrigated tract of the new field. Supervising foreman: Ur-dam. Covering a period of four months. In modern terms, roughly 9,800 and 9,100 liters of barley respectively — the output of a freshly opened field, signed off by the man responsible for the work gang.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 40 (and) 1 gur of barley, (in the) sag-gal₂ (measure) — 2. Ur-ab; 3. 40 less 2 gur of barley — 4. Lugal-sag. 5. Threshed barley (lit. "barley beaten with the stick"), 6. (from) the arable tract of the new field. 7. Foreman: Ur-dam. 8. 4 months.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry