Position in chronology
Nisaba 30, 70
Translation · reference
ExperimentalSource: CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P332382.
Why it matters
Transliteration
mu-kux(DU) nu-ub-tuku giri3 nu-ur2-suen dub-sar u4 1(u) 6(disz)-kam iti ezem-[]szu#-suen# mu us2-sa szu-suen lugal uri5-ma-ke4 bad3 mar-tu mu-ri-iq-ti-id-ni-im mu-du3 szu-suen lugal kal-ga lugal uri5-ma-ke4 lugal an-ub-da limmu2-ba nu-ur2-suen dub-sar dumu i-di3-er3-ra ARAD2-zu
Scholarly note
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)) — Nisaba 30, 70. 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: private: anonymous, New York, New York, USA (P332382) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. source
Translation excerpted from CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P332382..
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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The earliest historical document in human history.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.