Large Clay Tablet, with 86 Lines of Sumerian Cuneiform writing in four column This is written in a large, clear professional hand, and what we have is very well preserved and clear, but the right side of the tablet has some loss and there is the jab of a workman’s pick in the left hand column of the reverse.
It is an administrative document from the period of the Third Dynasty of Ur, dated to the 2nd year of Ibbi-Sin, last king of the dynasty, c. 2027 BC. It is a record of the staff of a big temple estate, with wages specified in some cases. Sumerian temples were not only places of worship but were big economic organisations owning fields and workshops, and having professional staff for all spheres.
Translation: Ur-Nungal, scribe.
Dada’e, plowma A child, female, Enum-Ishta A child, female, Ali-Ab Iribhupshin, mal Sipanakuri, mal Nana, femal Male heir…
His childre Bub Lugal-inim-gin Shu-Ada Oxherd Dead: Garri, plowma Shat-ili, his daughte Ushu-kin, his brothe Zen Ur-Shalpa- Oxherds, plowmen and oxherd Ili-Andul, herde Puzur-Si Irib-Si Ili-iddina…
His childre Bagagalu A daughter…
Dushumu Da.[…
54 Adal[lal]
Sailor 54 Beli-Arish,…
33 Agatiti, son of Arshi-ah, shepher The brewer 54 Shu-Ishtar, leather worke 11 Sila Bur Ada 11 Sila a male chil his childre Dead: …Puzur-…ni, reed worke 33 Shalim-ni’ash, female, child of Ilu’ 33 Abigaru’ 33 Me-…
33 Sin-nur[i…] son of Zuzu-ba. […]
33 Mamma-.[… …] son of Iddin-.[…]
33 Sha.[… …], child of Hinum […]
female singer 33 E[n… …] sister of Ur-[……]
11 sil 33 […
33 Shu-[……] child of Irrib[…]
33 She[…
33 Shat-[……] child of Iddin-abu 33 Ummenu.[…
11 sila Dumu-ir […
33 Kum[……] child of Ili-ashrann 33 Ali-[…
33 Ali-[……] child of Ahu’a-..[…]
33 Dabba […] child of As[hu…
Total: 13 serfs receiving ration Total: 4 serfs at 54 mina Total: 60 serfs at 33 mina Total: 1 child […
Total: 4 child .[…
Total: [……
Total: 17 slave girls at 33 mina Total: …2 daughter Total: 3 daughter Total: 2 dead serfs, while on a journe 26 male slave 22 female slave 2 serfs on a journey, dea …[…]……, from Ninshaga, through Ire-banla Month: Gisigga, year: the high priestess of Inanna of Uruk was chosen by divinatio ***
The translation just given is given with some reserve.
While its general content gives the correct impression on the document, there are many terms that are not properly understood, and much of the content is also unclear. Many of the persons referred to as serfs are prefixed with the number ‘33’, and among the totals it appears that 33 minas are meant. A mina was a unit of weight, but no food such as was generally supplied to serfs was measured by weight. Barley and its products were measured by bulk. The only likely item is wool, or woollen cloth. But 33 minas of that seems excessive for a person, even if it is meant for one year. Much more evidence and research is needed to extract the full value from such social documents.