Position in chronology
MVN 03, 269
Translation · reference
ExperimentalSource: CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P113829.
Why it matters
Transliteration
2(u) 2(asz) 1(barig) sze [gur lugal] 1(u) 2(asz) 3(barig) ziz2 gur sa2-du11 amar-suen ki ka-guru7-ta kiszib3 asz-a [...] mu us2-sa szu-suen lugal-e bad3 mar-tu mu-du3 e2-ki-bi dumu a-a-kal-la gudu4 szara2
Scholarly note
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)) — MVN 03, 269. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Šu-Suen y2 — Year after: Šu-Suen became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
Attribution
Image: Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (P113829) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. source
Translation excerpted from CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P113829..
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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The earliest historical document in human history.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.