Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · FM 229237 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 01
In plain English
Eight men were present as witnesses. They were Ili-gal the temple administrator, Zuzu, Ilulu, Enamra, Ḫulium, Ilala, Ea-ili (his tally mark is broken but restorable) and Dan-ili. In total that makes ten less two, eight witnesses. They saw Mututu formally measure out and hand over a house to Ilum-azu.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse/Reverse (no side division supplied): 1. 1 (person): Ili-gal, the temple administrator (sanga); 2. 1: Zuzu; 3. 1: Ilulu; 4. 1: Enamra; 5. 1: Ḫulium; 6. 1: Ilala; 7. [1]: Ea-ili; 8. 1: Dan-ili. 9. Total: 10 less 2 (= 8), witnesses 10. (that) Mututu 11. the house to Ilum-azu 12. conveyed (by measuring out).”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FM 229230 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 03
In plain English
Witnesses: Egi (Tabsiga's man), Ešdar-šadu, Warad-Inanna, and Mašum son of Maštum. Gi-nunu paid Dar-etum one barig of barley, about 60 liters. The slave woman concerned is Ibbubu.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Egi, 2. the one of Tabsiga; 3. Ešdar-šadu; 4. Warad-Inanna; 5. Mašum, 6. son of Maštum: 7. the witnesses. 1 barig of barley 8. Gi-nunu 9. to Dar-etum 10. gave. 11. Female slave: Ibbubu.”
Source: engine:claude-opus-5-5 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-opus-5-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FM 229205 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 04
In plain English
Ilum-dan paid Pū-Tišpak eleven shekels of silver as the price of a plot of land (with one extra shekel noted as part of the transaction). The witnesses to the deal were: Ikūnum son of Inium; Šu-bad son of Ši-ersina; Pū-Tišpak, overseer of the city; the captain Iliš-takal; and Warad-Tutu son of Bēlī-guru. They are listed as the witnesses of Gusura'um, apparently the place or field concerned.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 11 shekels of silver, 2. as the price of 1 išdu (plot?) — 1 shekel — 3. Ilum-dan 4. to Pū-Tišpak 5. gave. 6. 1 Ikūnum, 7. son of Inium; 8. 1 Šu-bad3, 9. son of Ši-ersina; 10. 1 Pū-Tišpak, the overseer of the city; 11. the captain (nu-banda3) Iliš-takal; 12. 1 Warad-Tutu, 13. son of Bēlī-guru: 14. (these are) the witnesses (abbūt) 15. of Gusura'um.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FM 229238 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 05
In plain English
Mazarsu received 4 1/3 shekels of silver. The witnesses were Dingir-kal, Ikūnum, Ilī-saliq, Ursuda, UD-kum, Ibbi-bi and Adamu. A damaged line then refers to a house and to someone whose name ends in -sudum; the beginning is lost. Finally, 2 shekels of silver are earmarked for Igini.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 4 1/3 shekels of silver 2. Mazarsu(?) 3. received. 4. Dingir-kal (Ilum-dān), 5. Ikūnum, 6. Ilī-saliq, 7. Ursuda, 8. UD-kum, 9. Ibbi-bi, 10. Adamu — 11. (these are) the witnesses. 12. [...] house 13. ...-su-du-um. 14. 2 shekels of silver 15. to/for Igini.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FM 229245 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 06
In plain English
Six people are listed one by one: Dalim, the city overseer, along with Geme-zu, Iptium, Sipa-itum, Mašum and Ilala. In total, six witnesses. They attest that the barley (the sign after 'barley' is unclear) was used up, and that they themselves examined the barley belonging to Naṣir-ili. That is the whole record.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 Dalim, overseer of the city, 2. and 1 Geme-zu, 3. 1 Iptium, 4. 1 Sipa-itum, 5. 1 Mašum, 6. 1 Ilala. 7. Total: 6 witnesses (that) 8. the barley, GA, was consumed; 9. the barley of Naṣir-ili 10. they inspected.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FM 229233 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 10
In plain English
Idarak, the one responsible for the shepherds' affairs (if that is what the phrase means), and Mašum the elder — this is from Manunu, to Ginunu: As for the house where he had the goods delivered, I will pay you the balance of the purchase price in silver. Come over, and ... — the last word is not understood.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Idarak, 2. šūm (= "that of"?) 3. the shepherdhood(?) (sipa!-tum), 4. Mašum, 5. the elder (abba): thus (says) 6. Manunu 7. to Ginunu: 8. in the house which(?) he had (it) brought, 9. for the rest of the purchase price 10. let me weigh out (silver) to you. 11. Come, and 12. ba-dam (meaning unclear).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FM 229220 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 11
In plain English
Warassuni, Babuzum, Sadium and Warad-Inanna — these four are the witnesses. Ginunu writes to ...-ratum: the length is 2 reeds, the width is 4 cubits and a half-cubit; the back part is 3 cubits, and the head end, the narrow part, is 3 cubits. The last two lines are broken; what survives says something like 'if ... the governor' and ends with the name Ilī-diri.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Warassuni, 2. Babuzum, 3. Sa[di]um, 4. Warad-Inanna — 5. [total: 4] witnesses (are) these. 6. [Thus (says)] Ginunu 7. [to ...]-ratum: 8. 2 reeds (is) the length, 9. 4 cubits (and) a half-cubit (is) the width; 10. for the rear part (urkum), 11. 3 cubits; 12. 3 cubits for the head (top end), 13. (which is) the thin part. 14. [...] if ... the governor (ensi) 15. [...] ... Ilī-diri.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · FM 229226 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 16
In plain English
This note records a handful of people: the wife of Ilī-karābī; Šaḫu, who works for Sāmiš; Dingir-azu, a merchant; Eštar-alsu, who herds sheep; Amariš, who cleans and finishes cloth; and Bāni, who works in bronze. At the end it enters one barig of barley — about 60 liters — and marks it as fully paid or settled. That is the whole text; there is no further explanation of what the people had to do with the barley.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. the wife of Ilī-karābī; 2. Šaḫu, 3. servant of Sāmiš; 4. Dingir-azu, the merchant; 5. Eštar-alsu, 6. the shepherd of sheep; 7. Amariš, the fuller; 8. Bāni, the bronze(-worker); 9. 1 barig of barley — (paid) in full.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry