Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · Ashm 1930-0173b — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 026
In plain English
A quick tally of sheep. The first line is broken, but an unknown number of sheep went to KI.AN 3. Five sheep went to KI.AN 7. Four more sheep are listed against a name or destination that is now lost. Two sheep are recorded for Bubu, if that reading of the name is right. The final word notes that the animals were taken into someone's charge.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“[n sheep] [t]o(?) KI.AN 3; 5 sheep to KI.AN 7; 4 sheep [......]; 2 sheep: Bubu(?); šu-[du8] (held in charge / taken over).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Ashm 1930-0175b — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 028
In plain English
Four messengers are on this list, each with his supervisor. Dingir-azu reports to Ili-ili, Ili-tabba reports to Lu-uš-udu, and Šuma-zaba (the name is partly lost) reports to a foreman whose name is broken off. The fourth messenger and his foreman are lost entirely. The four men are assigned "for bar", and what that purpose or destination means is unclear.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 (man): Dingir-azu, foreman: Ili-ili. 1 (man): Ili-tabba, foreman: Lu-uš-[udu]. 1 (man): Šuma-[zaba?], [foreman: ......]. [1 (man): ......], [foreman: ......]. Total: 4 messengers, for bar.”
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 1930-0175c — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 029
In plain English
The tablet lists individual workers, one per entry, each under his foreman. The first surviving line names the foreman Ilili, whose worker's name is lost. Ilala is assigned to the foreman Kuku. Ilšu-aḫa works under Lu-ušudu. Iš-esinat is under Nīšu-dannam. The list may have begun on a part of the tablet that is not included here.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Beginning destroyed?) 1. [foreman:] Ilili; 2. 1 (man): Ilala, 3. foreman: Kuku; 4. 1 (man): Ilšu-aḫa, 5. foreman: Lu-ušudu (lu₂-uš₂-udu); 6. 1 (man): Iš-esinat (iš₁₁-e-si-na-at), 7. foreman: Nīšu-dannam.”
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 1930-0175e — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 030
In plain English
Edamu (together with, or son of, Šuruš-kīn) received silver from Warassuni: 4½ shekels of silver in one entry, and 1 mina 5 shekels credited to Edamu in another. The note closes with the bookkeeper's reminder: a balance still stands against them — the account is not yet settled.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Edamu 2. (and/son of?) Šuruš-kīn 3. from 4. Warassuni received: 5. 4 1/2 shekels of silver; 6. 1 mina 5 shekels — Edamu. 7. The remainder 8. against them 9. is [outstanding].”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Ashm 1930-0175i — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 031
In plain English
This is a short ledger entry. An overseer whose name begins 'Apum-...' heads the list; the rest of his name is broken away. Lugal-itida, the scribe, receives three ban of grain less three sila — that is, 27 sila, roughly 27 liters — counted as one allotment. Ili-bilani, son of the enku-official (a kind of tax or fisheries collector), receives four barig, about 240 liters, likewise counted as one allotment. Nothing more survives.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(obv.) 1. [the ov]erseer A-pum-[...] 2. 3 ban less 3 sila (of barley), 1 (unit/person): Lugal-iti[da], 3. the scribe; 4. 4 barig (of barley), 1 (unit/person): Ili-bilani, 5. son of the enku-official (or: son of Enku).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Ashm 1930-0175j — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 032
In plain English
Only scraps of this document remain. It opens with what may be a reference to the city of Urua and the phrase 'to...', then turns to a matter 'concerning the wife of' someone whose name is lost. A party made a statement — 'he said' — apparently denying or refusing something ('he did not go out', or 'did not release'). A man called Naḫšum-bala is named next. The following lines are too broken to read beyond stray words, including 'city'. The text closes by placing the affair in the city of Irisagrig.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Urua(?) ... to [...] 2. concerning the wife [of ...] 3. he said, [and] 4. he did not go out(?) [...] / did [not] re[lease(?) ...] 5. [Na]ḫšum-[bala] 6. [...] ... [...] 7. [...] (the) city [...] 8. [...] ... [...] 9. [...] 10. in(?) Irisa[grig].”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Ashm 1930-0177g — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 033
In plain English
This is a crew list. Under foreman Ipšum: one man, Gurātum, son of Āya-pum; one man, Ilum-asû, son of Ilak-nuʾid. Under foreman Alī-lī: one man, Šu-Zababa, son of Igi-su; one man, Išmā-ilum, of Zināe; and one man, Ilum-tabba. The tablet breaks off after that, so we don't know how many more names followed or what the men were mustered for.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Overseer: Ipšum. 1 (man): Gurātum, son of Āya-pum; [1 (man)]: Ilum-asû, son of Ilak-nuʾid. Overseer: Alī-lī. 1 (man): Šu-Zababa, son of Igi-su; [1 (man)]: Išmā-ilum, (son of?) [Zi]nāe; 1 (man): Ilum-tabba, [...] ... [...] (rest broken)”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · Ashm 1930-0177h — Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
MAD 5, 034
In plain English
A head-count of laborers: one man named Bubu, son of Ininnu; one named Puzur-Eštar, son of Ilum-azu; one named Kurub-ilak, whose father's name is partly lost, listed alongside a son of Ilum-muda. The surviving entries account for only a few of the men — the rest of the list is damaged — but the bottom line is clear: fourteen workmen in all, stationed in Agade, working under a foreman called Aruru.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 Bubu, son of Inin[nu?]; 1 Puzur-Eštar, son of Ilum-azu; 1 Kurub-ilak, son of [...], son of Ilum-mu[da]; in Agade. Total: 14 [workmen], overseer: Aru[ru].”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry