Sumerian Cuneiform Tablet, 2036 BCE
Terracotta
2.24 x 4.09
CT.002
Sumerian cuneiform is one of the earlies known forms of written expression. Firs appearing in the 4th millennium BC in wha is now Iraq, it was dubbed cuneifor (‘wedge-shaped’) because...
Sumerian cuneiform is one of the earlies known forms of written expression. Firs appearing in the 4th millennium BC in wha is now Iraq, it was dubbed cuneifor (‘wedge-shaped’) because of the distinctiv wedge form of the letters, created b pressing a reed stylus into wet clay. Earl Sumerian writings were essentiall pictograms, which became simplified in th early and mid 3rd millennium BC to a serie of strokes, along with a commensurat reduction in the number of discrete sign used (from c.1500 to 600). The scrip system had a very long life and was used b the Sumerians as well as numerous late groups – notably the Assyrians, Elamites,
Akkadians and Hittites – for around thre thousand years. Certain signs and phoneti standards live on in modern languages o the Middle and Far East, but the writin system is essentially extinct. It wa therefore cause for great excitement whe the ‘code’ of ancient cuneiform was cracke by a group of English, French and Germa Assyriologists and philologists in the mi 19th century AD. This opened up a vita source of information about these ancien groups that could not have been obtained i any other way.
Cuneiform was used on monument dedicated to heroic – and usually royal –
individuals, but perhaps its most importan function was that of record keeping. Th palace-based society at Ur and other larg urban centres was accompanied by remarkably complex and multifacete bureaucracy, which was run by professiona administrators and a priestly class, all o whom were answerable to central cour control. Most of what we know about th way the culture was run and administere comes from cuneiform tablets, which recor the everyday running of the temple an palace complexes in minute detail, as in th present case. The Barakat Gallery ha secured the services of Professor Lamber (University of Birmingham), a renowne expert in the decipherment and translatio of cuneiform, to examine and process th information on these tablets. The following i a transcription of his analysis of this tablet:
This tablet consists of 33 lines of Sumerian cuneiform on obverse, reverse and left edge. Some damage, but most of the text survives and can be read. This is an administrative document from the Third Dynasty of Ur, dated to the second year of Shu-Sin, fourth king of the dynasty, c. 2036 BC. It is a list of rations issued to the government messengers:
Translation:
1 cake (?), 3 sila of soup, 3 fish: . . . . . . . . . .
2 sila of soup, 2 fish: Mashum, vizier, king’s messenger.
2 sila of soup, 2 fish: Mazati, vizier, king’s messenger. When they went from Der to the king.
2 sila of soup, 2 fish: Lugal-melida, king’s messenger.
2 sila of soup, 2 fish: Shu-wawa, king’s messenger. When they went to call up the grooms.
1 sila of soup, 1 fish: [….], king’s messenger.
[2 lines lost]
…]: Shalim-…[……..
1 sila or soup, 1 fish: Ili-kibri, king’s messenger. When they went to Der.
1 sila of soup, 1 fish: Sharrum-bani, king’s messenger.
1 sila of soup, 1 fish: Adad-bani, king’s messenger.
1 sila of soup, 1 fish: Ilum-bani, king’s messenger. When they went to call up men for harvest.
A disbursement:
Month: barley wheat. Year: Enki’s boat, the Ibex-of-the-Apsu, was caulked 21st day.
A sila was a measure of capacity, about .85 of a litre.
Akkadians and Hittites – for around thre thousand years. Certain signs and phoneti standards live on in modern languages o the Middle and Far East, but the writin system is essentially extinct. It wa therefore cause for great excitement whe the ‘code’ of ancient cuneiform was cracke by a group of English, French and Germa Assyriologists and philologists in the mi 19th century AD. This opened up a vita source of information about these ancien groups that could not have been obtained i any other way.
Cuneiform was used on monument dedicated to heroic – and usually royal –
individuals, but perhaps its most importan function was that of record keeping. Th palace-based society at Ur and other larg urban centres was accompanied by remarkably complex and multifacete bureaucracy, which was run by professiona administrators and a priestly class, all o whom were answerable to central cour control. Most of what we know about th way the culture was run and administere comes from cuneiform tablets, which recor the everyday running of the temple an palace complexes in minute detail, as in th present case. The Barakat Gallery ha secured the services of Professor Lamber (University of Birmingham), a renowne expert in the decipherment and translatio of cuneiform, to examine and process th information on these tablets. The following i a transcription of his analysis of this tablet:
This tablet consists of 33 lines of Sumerian cuneiform on obverse, reverse and left edge. Some damage, but most of the text survives and can be read. This is an administrative document from the Third Dynasty of Ur, dated to the second year of Shu-Sin, fourth king of the dynasty, c. 2036 BC. It is a list of rations issued to the government messengers:
Translation:
1 cake (?), 3 sila of soup, 3 fish: . . . . . . . . . .
2 sila of soup, 2 fish: Mashum, vizier, king’s messenger.
2 sila of soup, 2 fish: Mazati, vizier, king’s messenger. When they went from Der to the king.
2 sila of soup, 2 fish: Lugal-melida, king’s messenger.
2 sila of soup, 2 fish: Shu-wawa, king’s messenger. When they went to call up the grooms.
1 sila of soup, 1 fish: [….], king’s messenger.
[2 lines lost]
…]: Shalim-…[……..
1 sila or soup, 1 fish: Ili-kibri, king’s messenger. When they went to Der.
1 sila of soup, 1 fish: Sharrum-bani, king’s messenger.
1 sila of soup, 1 fish: Adad-bani, king’s messenger.
1 sila of soup, 1 fish: Ilum-bani, king’s messenger. When they went to call up men for harvest.
A disbursement:
Month: barley wheat. Year: Enki’s boat, the Ibex-of-the-Apsu, was caulked 21st day.
A sila was a measure of capacity, about .85 of a litre.