Position in chronology
MVN 03, 185
Translation — curated editorial
EditorialEditorial entry — translation cited from: CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P113745.
Transliteration
8(disz) u8 iti ki-siki-nin-a-zu 8(disz) u8 iti ezem-nin-a-zu 8(disz) u8 iti a2-ki-ti 8(disz) u8 iti ezem-szul-gi 8(disz) u8 iti szu-esz-sza sa2-du11 be-la-at-suh-ner be-la-at-dar-ra-ba-an an-nu-ni-tum u3 ul-ma-si-tum mu us2-sa e2 puzur4-isz-da-gan ba-du3
Scholarly note
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)) — MVN 03, 185. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Attribution
Image: Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (P113745) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. source
Translation excerpted from CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P113745..
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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The earliest historical document in human history.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.