Sumerian Cuneiform Tablet, 2028 BCE
2.05 x 4.13
AM.0065
Further images
Sumerian cuneiform is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. First appearing in the 4th millennium BC in what is now Iraq, it was dubbed cuneiform (‘wedge-shaped’) because...
Sumerian cuneiform is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. First appearing in the 4th millennium BC in what is now Iraq, it was dubbed cuneiform (‘wedge-shaped’) because of the distinctive wedge form of the letters, created by pressing a reed stylus into wet clay. Early Sumerian writings were essentially pictograms, which became simplified in the early and mid 3rd millennium BC to a series of strokes, along with a commensurate reduction in the number of discrete signs used (from c.1500 to 600). The script system had a very long life and was used by the Sumerians as well as numerous later groups – notably the Assyrians, Elamites, Akkadians and Hittites – for around three thousand years. Certain signs and phonetic standards live on in modern languages of the Middle and Far East, but the writing system is essentially extinct. It was therefore cause for great excitement when the ‘code’ of ancient cuneiform was cracked by a group of English, French and German Assyriologists and philologists in the mid 19th century AD. This opened up a vital source of information about these ancient groups that could not have been obtained in any other way.
Cuneiform was used on monuments dedicated to heroic – and usually royal – individuals, but perhaps its most important function was that of record keeping. The palace-based society at Ur and other large urban centres was accompanied by a remarkably complex and multifaceted bureaucracy, which was run by professional administrators and a priestly class, all of whom were answerable to central court control. Most of what we know about the way the culture was run and administered comes from cuneiform tablets, which record the everyday running of the temple and palace complexes in minute detail, as in the present case. The Barakat Gallery has secured the services of Professor Lambert (University of Birmingham), a renowned expert in the decipherment and translation of cuneiform, to examine and process the information on these tablets. His scanned analysis is presented here. The document lists the names of workmen, presumably from a large estate, in pairs.
Professor Lambert’s translation is provided below:
Clay tablet, 105x52mm., with 44 lines of Sumerian cuneiform on obverse and reverse. It comes from the period of the Third Dynasty of Ur, and is dated to the 9th year of Amar-Suena third king of the dynasty, c. 2028 B.C. It is a list of workmen, 32 in all, in pairs. The first of each pair is a “serf”, a man tied to his job, but otherwise free. Each serf is followed by the name of his “mate”, as well attested term, but not yet really understood. The scribe has made the distinction between the two of each pair by using the archaic sign for the numeral “1” for the serf, but the then current sign for the numeral “1” for the mate. Two such pairs in the middle of the list have “not” added after the numeral, and in the summary at the end of these four are carefully distinguished. All these men were by a large estate, probably a temple estate, but this is not stated because this is a document from such an estate not meant for outside use.
Translatio
1 En’um-il
1 Arshi’a
1 Ili-tab
1 Lul
1 . . . –anu
1 . . . tilu
1 [Ur]-Dumuz
1 [Il]ak-nu’i
1 [. . .] –il
1 [. . . ] –kinu
1 [U]r-Mem
1 [U]r-Ut
1 [ . . . ] . . .
1 […] .-il
1 [.] . [.] m
1 Erra-kibr
1 Shu-Ashta
1 Ilum-ban
1 Se’
1 Shalim-ahu
1 Ubarum, son of Zazzan
1 Pilah-il
1 not Shu-Dumuz
1 not Ur-niginga
1 not . . . .
1 not . . .
1 . . . . .
1 . . . . .
1 Ilum-ban
1 Shu- . . .
1 Babity
1 Ili-imitt
Total: 12 serf
Total: 12 mates
Total 4 serfs not gon
Total 4 mates not gon
Check list of active tied worker
Clerk: Puzar-Mamm
Supervisor: Sharrum-Naru
Ur-Mes, governor
Via Mr . . . and Mr Ur-E [n . . . ]
Month: Shuniggal, 30th da
Year: the high priestess of Inanna of Karzida was installe
The tablet is in generally good condition, having been conserved, but there is a big gash on the obverse, and minor defects elsewhere, also some of the script is rubbed. However, the general content is entirely clear. Note that this check of the tied workmen was done on the last day of the month.
Cuneiform was used on monuments dedicated to heroic – and usually royal – individuals, but perhaps its most important function was that of record keeping. The palace-based society at Ur and other large urban centres was accompanied by a remarkably complex and multifaceted bureaucracy, which was run by professional administrators and a priestly class, all of whom were answerable to central court control. Most of what we know about the way the culture was run and administered comes from cuneiform tablets, which record the everyday running of the temple and palace complexes in minute detail, as in the present case. The Barakat Gallery has secured the services of Professor Lambert (University of Birmingham), a renowned expert in the decipherment and translation of cuneiform, to examine and process the information on these tablets. His scanned analysis is presented here. The document lists the names of workmen, presumably from a large estate, in pairs.
Professor Lambert’s translation is provided below:
Clay tablet, 105x52mm., with 44 lines of Sumerian cuneiform on obverse and reverse. It comes from the period of the Third Dynasty of Ur, and is dated to the 9th year of Amar-Suena third king of the dynasty, c. 2028 B.C. It is a list of workmen, 32 in all, in pairs. The first of each pair is a “serf”, a man tied to his job, but otherwise free. Each serf is followed by the name of his “mate”, as well attested term, but not yet really understood. The scribe has made the distinction between the two of each pair by using the archaic sign for the numeral “1” for the serf, but the then current sign for the numeral “1” for the mate. Two such pairs in the middle of the list have “not” added after the numeral, and in the summary at the end of these four are carefully distinguished. All these men were by a large estate, probably a temple estate, but this is not stated because this is a document from such an estate not meant for outside use.
Translatio
1 En’um-il
1 Arshi’a
1 Ili-tab
1 Lul
1 . . . –anu
1 . . . tilu
1 [Ur]-Dumuz
1 [Il]ak-nu’i
1 [. . .] –il
1 [. . . ] –kinu
1 [U]r-Mem
1 [U]r-Ut
1 [ . . . ] . . .
1 […] .-il
1 [.] . [.] m
1 Erra-kibr
1 Shu-Ashta
1 Ilum-ban
1 Se’
1 Shalim-ahu
1 Ubarum, son of Zazzan
1 Pilah-il
1 not Shu-Dumuz
1 not Ur-niginga
1 not . . . .
1 not . . .
1 . . . . .
1 . . . . .
1 Ilum-ban
1 Shu- . . .
1 Babity
1 Ili-imitt
Total: 12 serf
Total: 12 mates
Total 4 serfs not gon
Total 4 mates not gon
Check list of active tied worker
Clerk: Puzar-Mamm
Supervisor: Sharrum-Naru
Ur-Mes, governor
Via Mr . . . and Mr Ur-E [n . . . ]
Month: Shuniggal, 30th da
Year: the high priestess of Inanna of Karzida was installe
The tablet is in generally good condition, having been conserved, but there is a big gash on the obverse, and minor defects elsewhere, also some of the script is rubbed. However, the general content is entirely clear. Note that this check of the tied workmen was done on the last day of the month.