Cuneiform Translation

Translated September 23, 2026 using AI

Low confidenceSumerian cuneiform, Early Dynastic or Ur III period administrative tablet· ca. 2600–2000 BCE (Early Dynastic III or Ur III period)

Transliteration

Obverse:
Line 1: 1(diš) [...] diš [...]
Line 2: še gur-saŋ-ŋál [...] ŋeštin [...] ku₆ [...]
Line 3: [...] še [...] gur [...]
Line 4: [PN] [...] ŋeštin [...]
Line 5: lú [...] kišib [...]

Reverse:
Line 1: (blank / empty upper section)
Line 2: šu-niŋin [...] ku₆ [...]
Line 3: ki PN-ta ba-zi [...] ŋiri₃ [...]
Line 4: iti [...] mu [...] [...] zàh [...] ĝìri [...]
       [...] PN [...] dub-sar

English Translation

Obverse: Line 1: 1 [unit/vessel] ... [commodity] Line 2: Barley (in) gur-saŋŋal (large capacity measure) ... wine/grapes ... fish ... Line 3: ... barley ... gur (large unit of measure) ... Line 4: [Personal name] ... wine/grapes ... Line 5: Man/worker of [...] seal/sealed tablet ... Reverse: Line 1: (blank — seal impression area or empty register) Line 2: Total: ... fish ... Line 3: From (personal name), disbursed/issued ... via the authority of [...] Line 4: Month [...], year [...] ... (PN) scribe

Historical Context

This appears to be a small administrative or accounting tablet typical of the Ur III period (ca. 2112–2004 BCE) or possibly the Early Dynastic III period (ca. 2600–2350 BCE), recording the allocation or receipt of commodities such as barley, fish, and possibly wine or grapes. Such tablets were produced in enormous quantities by the highly bureaucratic Ur III state administration, which meticulously tracked the movement of goods, labor, and rations across temple and palace economies. The reverse being largely blank with summary totals and a date formula is characteristic of Ur III balanced accounts.

Note: The image resolution and line-drawing reproduction quality make precise sign identification very difficult. Many signs are partially damaged or unclear in the photograph, and the drawing style (line art copy rather than photograph) introduces further ambiguity. The transliteration above should be treated as a tentative approximation only — several signs cannot be read with confidence, and personal names (which are critical for identifying the document) are not legible at this resolution. A proper reading would require examination of the original tablet or a high-resolution photograph.

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