Chapter 03 · 2334 – 2154 BCE
Akkadian Empire
Sargon brings rival city-states under imperial rule.
~2270 BCE · CBS 04688 + CBS 04692 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 001
In plain English
Twenty-four jars of wine, thirty jars of honey (or date syrup), twenty baskets of iš-fruit, twenty baskets of lam-nuts, and a lost quantity of something else — all for Enlil of Nippur. Then a further batch: three jars of wine and five jars of honey. The totals come to thirty-five jars of honey, forty-five baskets of iš-fruit, forty-five baskets of lam-nuts, and at least three dal-vessels of a commodity whose name is broken off. The beginning and end of the tablet are damaged, so some entries and the heading of the second batch are lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. [2]4 jars of [wine], 2. [1]0+20 (= 30) jars of honey/syrup, 3. 20 gurdub-baskets of iš₁₁(-fruit), 4. 20 gurdub-baskets of lam(-nuts), 5. [...] ĝeš-[ri ...], 6. (for/of) Enlil 7. (of) Nippur. 8. 3 jars of wine, 9. 5 jars of honey/syrup. 10. Total: 35 jars of honey/syrup(?). 11. [Total:] 45 gurdub-baskets of iš₁₁(-fruit). 12. [Total:] 45 gurdub-baskets of lam(-nuts). 13. [Total: n+]3 dal-vessels of ...-[...].”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CBS 04678 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 007
In plain English
This is a tally of provisions: 12 sheep and 15 portions of meat; about 1,435 liters of soup; 1,183 split fish and roughly three and a half gur (several hundred liters) of dried fish; 229 bundles of greens; a little over 40 liters of salt; 520 jars of beer; 15 gur of dates; and 1 gur of apples. The text records only the quantities and commodities—no recipient, purpose, or date is given on this piece.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 12 sheep; 20 minus 5 (= 15) (portions of) meat; 2. 2 gešʾu 4 geš minus 5 (= 1,435) sila of soup; 3. 2 gešʾu minus 17 (= 1,183) split fish; 4. 3 gur 3 barig minus 1 ban of dried fish; 5. 3 geš 50 minus 1 (= 229) bundles of greens; 6. 4 ban 2 sila of salt; 7. 8 geš 40 (= 520) jars of beer; 8. 15 gur of dates; 9. 1 gur of apples.”
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 04683 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 010
In plain English
What survives reads like a ration roster. It opens with Ititi, who belongs to the envoy's staff, then an overseer whose name is lost, then someone linked to the city gate. The rations follow at a per-person rate: a certain amount of barley, 5 sila (about 5 litres) of dried fish, and half a sila of salt each. A total of 64 of something comes next, then more names or titles — one line ends in 'mu-sar', another in '-lim', one entry counts 60 of an item, and a bailiff is mentioned near the end. The rest of the tablet is broken away.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. Ititi, (the man) of the sukkal (envoy); 2. [...], the overseer (nu-banda); 3. [...] (of) the city gate; 4. [n (measures of) barley ... each]; 5. 5 [sila of dried fish each]; 6. 1/2 [sila of salt each]; 7. 64 [...]; 8. [...] mu-sar; 9. [...]...-lim; 10. 60 [...] gim; 11. [...]-galla (the bailiff); 12. [...] (rest broken)”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · CBS 04691 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 015
In plain English
The top of the tablet is broken. What follows is a roll call: one man named Kīnum-..., one named Ḫēlī-..., one named Išar-..., one named Ikūnum, one named Bēlī-andul, one named Lugal-..., one named Išar-bēlī, one named Ti-uš-..., and one named Er-... . At the bottom the scribe sums them up: a total of ten (the number is damaged) persons, and the rest of the total line and whatever came after it are lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [...] ... [...] 2. 1 Ki-num-[...] 3. 1 He-li-[...] 4. 1 I-šar-...-[...] 5. 1 I-ku-num 6. 1 Be-li-an-dul 7. 1 Lugal-[...] 8. 1 I-šar-be-[li] 9. 1 Ti-uš?-[...] 10. 1 Er-[...] 11. Total: 10? [...] 12. [...] (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 · N 0315 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 019
In plain English
This is a receipt for 6¾ shekels of gold of the kind called kirrat. It is the gold set aside for one right arm and one left thigh — presumably parts of a statue — and this is the whole amount on hand. The note records it as a delivery: it was handed over on the account of Bani-la, the junior gudu-priest, and a man named Puzrum took receipt of it.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. 7 shekels less one-quarter (shekel) of kirrat-gold, 2. (that) belonging to 1 right arm and 1 left thigh; 3. (this is) the total in hand. 4. Delivery. 5. For the ṣibtu of 1 Bani-la, the junior gudu-priest, 6. Puzrum 7. received (it).”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · N 0296 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 020
In plain English
This is a receipt for gold. The opening amounts are broken, but we can read '[so many] shekels of gold' and a further '[so many] shekels'. The gold is to go toward one arm and one left thigh, and toward the face of a small laḫmu figure (a protective hero-figurine). The recipient is Adda-ki. The gold was delivered, and he received it.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [...] shekels of gold 2. [...] 3. [...] shekels 4. [1] arm and 1 [left] thigh, 5. for 1 face of a small(?) laḫmu(-figure): 6. Adda-ki 7. delivery; 8. he received.”
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 0298 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 021
In plain English
This is a running account of metal for a statue. The entry for the chest piece ends with a subtotal whose figure is lost. Then 3 shekels are booked for the arm and the right thigh. The grand total at the bottom reads about one-third of a mina plus 3 shekels — some 23 shekels in all — and the commodity, now broken away, was probably gold.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“Obverse 1. [That of] the chest — total. 2. 3 shekels: 3. that of the arm and the right thigh. 4. Total: [1/3 mina] 3 [shekels of gold(?)].”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry~2270 BCE · N 0344 — University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
OSP 2, 023
In plain English
What survives reads like a ledger of gold by weight. The first entry gives so many minas plus some small minas; the next, after a lost name ending in '-da', gives so many minas and nine shekels; another name ending in '-li' follows. Then comes the total: roughly a third of a mina and one small mina of gold, recorded for a man called Ušumgal. The tablet's beginning, several names, and the final line are broken off and cannot be read.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“1. [n mi]nas [...] small minas 2. [...] ...-da 3. [n minas] 10 minus 1 shekels 4. [...] ...-li 5. [Total: x] 1/3(?) mina [...] 1(?) small mina of gold 6. [for ...] Ušumgal, the male 7. [...] ...”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5-1 (2026-09-20/v8-evolved) · claude-fable-5-1 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry