Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · OIM A00931 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 184
In plain English
This is a beer account. On the books are sixteen jars (short by two-thirds of a litre) of fine dida beer, twenty jars plus seven litres of fine filtered beer, sixty-seven jars of ordinary dida beer, and an unknown number of jars (short by three and a half litres) of ordinary filtered beer. A damaged line mentions some quantity of barley. Then follow about nine jars (short a litre and a half) of fine filtered beer, one jar of ordinary dida beer, and nine jars plus eight litres of ordinary filtered beer. All of this is the allotment belonging to the snake-charmer.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 16 jars less 2/3 (sila) of fine beer, dida-type; 2. 20 jars (and) 7 sila of fine beer, pressed; 3. 67 (jars) of ordinary beer, dida-type; 4. [n jars] less 3 1/2 sila of ordinary beer, pressed; 5. [...] sila of barley [...]; 6. 9(?) jars less 1 1/2 sila of fine beer, pressed; 7. 1 (jar) of ordinary beer, dida-type; 8. 9 jars (and) 8 sila of ordinary beer, [pressed]; 9. It is (the account) of the snake-charmer.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00736 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 188
In plain English
Gigir-x hands over 5 2/3 minas of wool. Uda hands over 12 minas of wool. Lu-dingira hands over 11 minas of wool, plus 5 sila (about 5 liters) of sesame oil and 1 shekel of silver. A further, partly broken entry gives roughly 30 2/3 minas of wool. These men are the shepherds in charge of the sheep. This is a delivery, and Dugani received it.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 5 2/3 minas of [wool] — 2. Gigir-x; 3. 12 minas of [wool] — 4. Uda; 5. 11 minas of wool, 6. 5 sila of sesame oil (lit. 'sesame oil, oil'), 7. 1 shekel of silver — 8. Lu-dingira; 9. [......] 30(?) 2/3 minas of wool — 10. (they are) the shepherds of the sheep. 11. Delivery; 12. Dugani 13. received (it).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00656 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 190
In plain English
The top of the list is gone. What remains reads: so many guz-za cloths of third grade, weighing 10 minas and something more; one guz-za cloth of fourth grade, weighing a talent and fifteen minas; one guz-za cloth of ordinary quality, weighing 43 minas; one weaver's cloth, weighing 16 minas; two u-cloths, weighing 29 minas; some mug-cloths, weighing 13 minas; and then an entry for linen that breaks off. The rest of the tablet is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(Beginning broken) 1. [n] guz-za-textile(s), third [grade]; 2. [its weight]: 10 minas [...]. 3. [...] 1 guz-za-textile, fourth grade; 4. [its] weight: 1 talent 15 mi[nas]. 5. 1 guz-za-textile, ordinary quality; 6. its weight: 43 minas. 7. [...] 1 ušbar-textile; 8. its weight: 16 minas. 9. [...] 2 u-textiles; 10. [its] weight: 30 minus 1 (= 29) minas. 11. [...] mug-textile(s); 12. [its] weight: 13 minas. 13. [...] linen [...] (rest broken)”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00894 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 192
In plain English
Ur-ešpeš has received 5 shekels of silver; Aba-Utu-gin holds the claim on him for it. Ur-Keš has received 1 shekel; Aba-Utu-gin holds the claim on him too. For the half-share, the barley owed is to be repaid at the rate of 2 barig (about 120 litres) per shekel. The witnesses to this are Lugal-KU, the lamentation priest, and Iš-iš.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 5 shekels of silver 2. Ur-ešpeš 3. received; 4. Aba-Utu-gin 5. has (the claim) against him. 6. 1 shekel: Ur-Keš 7. received; 8. he has (the claim) against him. 9. It being the half(-share): its barley, at 2 barig each, 10. is to be repaid. 11. Lugal-KU, 12. the lamentation priest (gala); 13. Iš-iš: 14. they are its witnesses.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · OIM A00816 — Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
OIP 014, 194
In plain English
A number of wooden carrying-baskets (the figure is broken) were delivered by Lugal-adadu, Nisqu, and the scribe Ug-IL. The scribe Inima took charge of them, together with some plough equipment whose details are damaged, from the palace. The record is dated to the month Šuba-nun. The beginning of the tablet, with the exact quantity, is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“obv. 1. [...] wooden carrying-baskets: 2. Lugal-adadu, 3. Nisqu, 4. (and) Ug-IL the scribe — 5. delivery. 6. Inima the scribe 7. ... plough [...] 8. from the palace 9. took in charge. 10. [Month:] Šuba-nun.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CBS 13704 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 1, 052
In plain English
[A quantity of] bread goes to Aštar-bad. Ninety loaves for the men from Umma, thirty for the scribes' sons, thirty for a group whose name is unreadable, and forty for the overseer from Adab. Then twenty each for a man whose name ends in -ur-gal, for Ur-Ningirsu, for Tutu, for Nesag, for the son of Artu, thirty for Ur-sag-Utu, and twenty for the barber. Issued on the eleventh day of the month of Šu-numun.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“obv. 1. [...] bread (for) Aštar-bad 2. 90 men of Umma 3. 30 sons of scribes 4. 30 ... (illegible) 5. 40 (for) the overseer of Adab 6. 20 (for) [...]-ur-gal 7. 20 (for) Ur-Ningirsu 8. 20 (for) Tutu 9. 20 (for) Nesag 10. 20 (for) the son(s) of Artu 11. 30 (for) Ur-sag-Utu 12. 20 (for) the barber(?) 13. Day 11. 14. Month: Šu-numun.”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CBS 08449 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 1, 054
In plain English
A list of people, each with a count beside the name. One for beer (or a man named Kaš), the potter; one for Ur-Utu; a damaged entry ending in -ni; another, broken, for a builder; one for Adda; one for MI-lu-lu; two for Puzur-Eštar; one for Lu-lugal; one for Lu-u, whose title is only partly legible; then two more entries for men whose names are lost. The record is dated to the 19th day of the month 'Brick placed in the mould'. Several lines are too damaged to read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 — beer (or: Kaš), 2. the potter; 3. 1 — Ur-Utu; 4. [...]-ni; 5. [...] the builder; 6. 1 — Adda; 7. 1 — MI?-lu-lu; 8. 2 — Puzur-Eštar; 9. 1 — Lu-lugal; 10. 1 — Lu-[u], the ereš(?)-[...]; 11. [...] man [...]; 12. 1 — the man [...]. 13. Month: "Brick placed in the mould" (sig₄-u₅-šub-ba-gar); 14. day 20 less 1 (= the 19th day).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · N 0375 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 1, 058
In plain English
Beer issued, one jar apiece: to the potter; to Ur-sag; to the overseer; to someone whose name is broken; to another whose name is lost; to Pa-[...]; to Ane-[da]; to Ilum-rabi; and to one more person whose name is gone. Dated the 28th of the month Kin-Inanna. Several entries are too damaged to read, but each surviving line follows the same one-unit pattern.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 1 (jar of) beer — 2. the potter; 3. 1 — Ur-sag; 4. [1] — the overseer; 5. [...]-an-[...]; 6. 1 — x [...]; 7. 1 — Pa?-[...]; 8. 1 — Ane-[da]; 9. 1 — Ilum-rabi; 10. 1 — [...]. 11. Month: Kin-Inanna, 12. day 30 less 2 (= the 28th day).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry