Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · FM 229210 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 20
In plain English
Here is who got what: Isu-gi received one barig (about 60 liters); Ama-gasur, four ban (about 40 liters); Šu-atum, one barig; and Dada, the woman, was also included. Ḫumaza got three ban (about 30 liters); Sunitum, one barig; Agigi, two ban (about 20 liters); and the daughter-in-law of the household, one barig. The commodity is not named but is almost certainly barley, handed out as rations.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 barig — Isu-gi 2. 4 ban — Ama-gasur 3. 1 barig — Šu-atum 4. and Dada, the woman 5. 3 ban — Ḫumaza 6. 1 barig — Sunitum 7. 2 ban — Agigi 8. 1 barig — the daughter-in-law (é-gi₄-a)”
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 229208 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 21
In plain English
Three litres of fine flour. One litre for the barber, one litre for Kubabbar-sa, one litre for the old she-donkey. That is what I handed over to Šunītum. A short receipt-style note: the writer is recording a small batch of flour, broken down by recipient, and naming the woman to whom the whole amount was given.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 3 sila of fine flour, 2. 1 sila (for) the barber, 3. 1 sila (for) Kubabbar-sa, 4. 1 sila (for) the old she-donkey, 5. that which to 6. Šunītum 7. I gave.”
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 229236 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 23
In plain English
This is a distribution record. Lilum gets 4 ban (roughly 40 liters), Ummani 3 ban, Eštar-imittī 4 ban, Geme-suni 5 ban, Ennanu 4 ban, and Eštar-ge6 4 ban — presumably of barley, though the tablet does not name the grain. Then comes a separate heading, 'GI', most likely reeds or a reed-based unit, under which four more people are listed without quantities: Zuzu, Bašušu, Bila, and Tabni. The tablet ends there.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 4 ban: Lilum 2. 3 ban: Ummani 3. 4 ban: Eštar-imittī 4. 5 ban: Geme-suni 5. 4 ban: Ennanu 6. 4 ban: Eštar-ge6 7. GI (reed(s)?) 8. Zuzu 9. Bašušu 10. Bila 11. Tabni”
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 229231 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 25
In plain English
North boundary: 4 ropes 16 reeds, bordering the land of KA-mama the exorcist. South boundary: 3 ropes 15½ reeds, bordering Ezem's land. The next (probably east) boundary: 3 ropes minus 2 reeds, bordering Arukum's land. West boundary: 4 ropes 5½ reeds, bordering the land of MUŠ-[...] and Allulu. Total area of the plot: [so many] plus 9 iku. A line is lost here. The plot is also described as belonging to, or adjoining, KA-beli and Ziba, and it lies at the weir of the Rigitum canal.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 4 ešgid (ropes) 16 gi (reeds) — north side — (adjoining) KA-mama, the exorcist (maš-maš). 2. 3 ešgid 15½ gi — south side — (adjoining) Ezem. 3. 3 ešgid less 2 gi — (east?) side (im ur) — (adjoining) Arukum. 4. 4 ešgid 5½ gi — west side — that of MUŠ-[...] (and) Allulu. 5. [Its field: n (+)] 9 iku. 6. [...] 7. that of KA-beli; 8. that of Ziba; 9. at the weir (miḫrum) of the Rigitum (canal).”
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 229249 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 26
In plain English
This is a surveyor's note on a field. On the west side it runs 2 ropes and 3 reeds, with a (lost) number of oxen; on the east side, 1 rope and 1 reed, again with oxen whose number is broken; on the south side 1 ox and 1 rope; on the north side 1 ox and 2 ropes plus 1 reed; a further stretch of 1 1/2 ropes on the south; and 3 ropes and 1 reed on the west. Altogether the plot comes to a (partly lost) area of 1 iku and 20 sar — a little over a third of a hectare of farmland, plus whatever is broken away at the start of the last line.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [n] oxen; 2 measuring-ropes (and) 3 reeds, (on) the west side. 2. [n oxen; n (ropes)] 1 measuring-rope (and) 1 reed, (on) the east side. 3. 1 ox; 1 measuring-rope, (on) the south side. 4. 1 ox; 2 measuring-ropes [(and) n] 1 reed, (on) the [north] side. 5. 1 1/2 [measuring-ropes, (on) the] south [side]. 6. 3 measuring-ropes (and) 1 reed, (on) the west side. 7. [n] (bur/eše) 1 iku of field, 20 sar.”
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 229219 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 28
In plain English
This is simply a roster. It names nine people, one per line: someone whose name begins 'Eštar-' (the rest is lost), Ašmatum, Ilum-nāṣir, Aḫu-libūra, Eštar-damqat, Ilī-dān, Aḫa-kaspi, La-arab, and Elusa. There are no amounts, no dates, and no explanation of what the list was for — just the names of a group of people who were being counted for some administrative purpose.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Eštar-[...] 2. Ašmatum 3. Ilum-nāṣir 4. Aḫu-libūra 5. Eštar-damqat 6. Ilī-dān 7. Aḫa-kaspi 8. La-arab 9. Elusa”
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 229228 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 30
In plain English
Headcount: one Atī'e; one Eštar-damqat; one Eštar-rabiat; one Izzaza, who is Liburrum's sister; one Alili, who is Abibi's sister; one Salimmeni; one Eštar-tukultī; one Rītum. Nine women in all. They are kulu'u — members of the cult-performer group. Nothing else is recorded on the tablet.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1 Atī'e, [1] Eštar-damqat, [1] Eštar-rabiat, 1 Izzaza, sister of Liburrum, 1 Alili, sister of Abibi, 1 Salimmeni, 1 Eštar-tukultī, 1 Rītum: (they are) kulu'u-personnel.”
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 229202 — Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OAIC 34
In plain English
The record begins mid-count: a few goat hides (at least two, the first figure is lost), a vat of flour, one item for Dingir-zamu and two for Edin-asu. Then come two measures of good ghee, a woollen guzida-cloak, thirty units of barley and four containers of flour, two long textiles, a mina of wool set aside for a belt, two šagadu-garments, one wool garment, one long garment, and two of something called ḫiḫina. No total, no date, no closing formula survives — just the inventory itself.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [n+]2 hides of young goats, 2. a namḫaru-vessel (of) flour, 3. 1 (to/for) Dingir-zamu, 4. 2 (to/for) Edin-asu, 5. 2 šakkan-measures of fine ghee, 6. a guzida-garment of wool, 7. 30 (units of) barley, 4 la'aga (of) flour, 8. 2 long (textiles), 9. 1 mina of wool for a belt, 10. 2 šagadu-garments, 11. 1 wool garment, 12. 1 long garment, 13. 2 ḫiḫina.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry