MSVO 1, 241

~3100 BCE·Uruk Period·P005308

Translation · reference

Experimental

Source: CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P005308.

Translation · AI engine

read from photo

Low confidence

[...] , [...] X 2(N34) 1(N14) , bird (MUSZEN) [sign: ME~a] ZATU749~b 2(N34) 2(N14) 1(N01) , BARA2~a? [dark/black (GI6)] [place/location (KI)] 1(N34) 1(N14) [...] , house/storehouse (E2~a) water/liquid (A) [...] 1(N34) 3(N14) [...] , carpenter/craftsman (NAGAR~b)? X [...]

7 uncertain terms ↓

ZATU749~b — An uninterpreted sign in the Zeichen-Aufsatz Tabelle Uruk (ZATU) list; its reading and meaning are not established. It may be a determinative or classifier for the bird entry.
MUSZEN ME~a — MUSZEN is the proto-cuneiform sign for 'bird'; ME~a is a variant sign whose function here is unclear — it may be a qualifier or additional classifier. ME in later Sumerian can mean 'divine ordinances' but that reading is not applicable in a proto-cuneiform economic context.
BARA2~a — Rendered as 'dais,' 'throne-platform,' or 'shrine'; the ~a variant designation indicates a specific sign form. The '?' in the transliteration signals the editor's uncertainty about the reading.
GI6 — Conventionally read as 'black' or 'dark'; in administrative contexts may indicate a quality descriptor or a specific type of commodity. Reading uncertain.
NAGAR~b — Later Sumerian nagar means 'carpenter' or 'craftsman'; the ~b variant and the '?' indicate editorial uncertainty. Could alternatively be an institutional title or toponym.
N34 — A high-order impressed numeral sign in the proto-cuneiform system. Its exact quantitative value depends on the commodity counted and the metrological sub-system in use; cannot be converted to a precise modern number without fuller context.
E2~a A — E2~a is standardly 'house' or 'storehouse'; A is 'water' or 'liquid'. The combination could indicate a water-storage facility, a liquid commodity associated with a storehouse, or a proper name/toponym compound. Meaning unclear.

Reasoning ↓

The photograph shows multiple fragments of a small clay tablet bearing the museum number 1929.836 on the edge piece. The main inscribed face (centre-left image) is clearly visible: I can make out circular impressed numerals (the round N01/N14 impressions) and several incised sign groups consistent with early proto-cuneiform script. The surface is moderately well-preserved on the inscribed face, though there is a prominent crack running diagonally across the tablet face, causing some sign loss at the fracture. The larger fragment at bottom of the image appears to be a reverse or second fragment with no clearly legible signs visible at this resolution — the surface appears largely blank or very lightly marked. The top fragment also shows no readable inscription at this resolution. The sign clusters visible in the main inscribed fragment are broadly consistent with the scholar-provided transliteration (circular impressions for numerals, incised signs for the ideographic entries), but individual sign identifications such as BARA2~a, NAGAR~b, ZATU749~b cannot be verified with confidence at the available photo resolution. The reading of GI6 ('black/dark') and KI ('place') in line 3, and E2~a ('house') in line 4, are standard interpretations for Uruk-period administrative texts but remain uncertain without higher-resolution imaging. ZATU749~b is an uninterpreted sign in the ZATU sign list and its meaning remains unknown.

Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · prompt 2026-05-12/v4-interpretation · May 14, 2026 · 2136 in / 1199 out tokens

Why it matters

Transliteration

[...] , [...] X
2(N34) 1(N14) , MUSZEN ME~a ZATU749~b
2(N34) 2(N14) 1(N01) , BARA2~a? GI6 KI#
1(N34)# 1(N14)# [...] , E2~a A [...]
1(N34) 3(N14)# [...] , NAGAR~b#? X [...]

Scholarly note

Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — MSVO 1, 241. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).

Attribution

Image: Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK (P005308) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. source
Translation excerpted from CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P005308..

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