Position in chronology
TJA pl.51, IOS 05
Translation · reference
ExperimentalSource: CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P134099.
Why it matters
Transliteration
1/2(disz) gin2 ku3-babbar2 ki ab-ba-gi-na-ta ur-szul-pa-e3-ke4 szu ba-an-ti ku3 masz2 a-sza3-ga sag-bi gid2-da mu i-bi2-suen lugal ur-szul-pa-e3 dub-sar dumu ba-sa6-ga
Scholarly note
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)) — TJA pl.51, IOS 05. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Ibbi-Suen y1 — Ibbi-Suen became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
Attribution
Image: Institute of Oriental Studies, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK (P134099) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. source
Translation excerpted from CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P134099..
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Related sources
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Marks the boundary between proto-writing and writing. We can see signs being used systematically — but not yet phonetically. The leap to recording speech itself comes a few centuries later.
The earliest historical document in human history. Before this, we have lists, accounts, and dedications. Here, for the first time, a ruler tells us what happened — with names, places, and consequences.