Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · AO 11405 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
MAD 4, 164
In plain English
Field measurements: the lower side measures 110½ units and the upper front of the sown land measures 85 units plus 2 cubits. The overall length is 490 units, written as 540 less 50, and the width is 30. The unit is never named but is presumably the standard rod (nindan, about 6 metres).
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 110½ (nindan?), <the (measure)> of (?) from the lower side (?); 2. 85 (nindan?) (and) 2 cubits, the (measure) of the upper front of the seeded (land); 3. 540 minus 50 (= 490 nindan?), length; 4. 30 (nindan?), width.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 11409 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
MAD 4, 166
In plain English
Field measurements: one long side is 63½ rods, and the short side along the canal is 22½ rods. The opposite long side, at the lower edge, is 90 rods, and the other short side, toward the a-gar-ra edge, is also 22½ rods. The plot comes to 2 eše and ½ plus 1/8 iku of harrowed land. It is assigned to Ka'a the leatherworker.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 63½ nindan: the length (us2); 2. 22½ nindan: the width (sag) along the canal; 3. 90 (nindan): the lower length; 4. 22½ (nindan): the width at the a-gar-ra side; 5. 2 eše ½ 1/8 iku of field, harrowed (ur3-ra): 6. Ka'a, the leatherworker.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · AO 11411 — Louvre Museum, Paris, France
MAD 4, 168
In plain English
This is a roster of people. Šubur the scribe, Tir-kuge, Si-ku-e, Dubi the lament-singer, Balli, also a lament-singer, Lugale the shepherd, Enannatum, and Lugal-zage-si, governor of Šuruppak. The next two names, beginning Galzu- and ME-, are broken off. The list ends with Amar-lu, the foreman.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Šubur, the scribe; Tir-kuge; Si-ku-e; Dubi, the lamentation-priest (gala); the lamentation-priest (gala) Balli; Lugale, the shepherd; Enannatum; Lugal-zage-si, the city-ruler (ensi) of Šuruppak; Galzu-[...]; ME-[...]; Amar-lu, the foreman.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Ashm 1930-0138 — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 003
In plain English
Grain report, measured in the standard Agade gur. The field owners received 3½ gur of barley for the išginnū of their field. Amur-ilum is down for 62 gur. Another 45 gur was sold for silver at 1½ gur per shekel, which brought in half a mina of silver. A further 39½ gur is still in store. That makes 150 gur of barley in all. Angu settled the account for the master of the house.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse/Reverse (no side division given in the source) 1. 3 gur 2 barig 3 ban of barley, (by the) gur of Agade: 2. for the išginnū of the field 3. the owners of the field received. 4. 62 gur of barley: 5. Amur-ilum. 6. 45 gur of barley 7. for silver, (at the rate of) 1 gur 2 barig 3 ban (per shekel), 8. was sold; 9. its silver: 1/2 mina. 10. 40 gur less 2 barig 3 ban of barley 11. is on hand. 12. Total: 150 gur of barley. 13. Angu 14. for the master of the house 15. settled (the account).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Ashm 1930-0139 — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 004
In plain English
Two men, Ilulu son of Eštar-nu'id and Šaṭpum son of Meduk(?)la, are assigned 'for the bar', a destination or duty whose exact meaning is unclear. Two more, Edamu son of Ila-nu'id and Ili-tukulti, are assigned 'for Aḫa'. This could be a place or person called Aḫa, or simply 'to the other side'. Each man is counted as one person.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 (person): Ilulu, son of Eštar-nu'id; 1 (person): Šaṭpum, son of Meduk(?)la — for (the) BAR. 1 (person): Edamu, son of Ila-nu'id; 1 (person): Ili-tukulti — for Aḫa (or: for the side / the other one).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Ashm 1930-0142 — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 007
In plain English
This is a personnel checklist. The top of the tablet is broken, but the surviving entries count one man each: Ha-..., Salim-ahu, Zuzu, Puzuzu, Bala-ea, Imi-ilum, Mulu-šum, and Išma-Suen. The scribe then adds them up in the ancient accountant's way — 'ten less one', that is, nine workmen in all — and notes the place or unit they belong to, a name beginning Harsi..., written after a city-sign. The rest of the tablet is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Beginning destroyed) 1 Ha-[...] 1 Salim-[ahu] 1 Zu-[zu] 1 Puzuzu 1 Bala-ea 1 Imi-ilum 1 Mulu-šum 1 Išma-Suen Total: 10 less 1 (= 9) [able-bodied men], (of/at) |URU+TAR| Harsi[...] (rest destroyed)”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Ashm 1930-0145 — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 010
In plain English
Amur-ilum took the following: from Irisagrig, a calf and twenty sheep of mixed kinds; from Bad-Suen, ten large gur of barley and five large gur of salt; from Kish, three items of a kind whose name is broken off and one more item that is also damaged. He also took one more damaged item and a slave woman named Eštar-bītī.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 calf (amar-gir), 20 assorted sheep: in Irisagrig. 10 gur of barley, (by the) large gur (sag-gal), 5 gur, (by the) large gur, of salt: in Bad-Suen (Dūr-Sîn). 3 KIN [......], 1 ka?-[......]: in Kiš. 1 SU [......], 1 Eštar-bītī, a female servant — Amur-ilum took away.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Ashm 1930-0146 — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 011
In plain English
Ten workmen are under the overseer Ida-ilum. Ipqum has ten, Aḫuḫu has seven, and Puzur-Eštar has five. Ilī-gal, the envoy, is also named in the list. In total there are thirty-two workmen. The last word, "biru", is unclear. It may name a place, a task or a heading for the account.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse(?) 1. 10 workmen: 2. overseer: Ida-ilum. 3. 10: Ipqum. 4. 7: Aḫuḫu. 5. Ilī-gal, the envoy (sukkal). 6. 5: Puzur-Eštar. 7. Total: 32 workmen. 8. bi-ru.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry