TS 039 (P498195)

Purchase and sale contracts tablet & envelope excavated in Kutalla (mod. Tell Sifr), dated to the Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC) period and now kept in British Museum, London, UK

Museum Collection(s)

British Museum, London, UK

Museum Number

BM 033215 & BM 033215a + BM 033308

Period

Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Provenience

Kutalla (mod. Tell Sifr)

Artifact Type

Tablet & envelope

Material(s)

Clay

Genre / Subgenre(s)

Business / Contracts > Purchase and sale contracts

Language(s)

-

Measurements

-

Has seal impression(s)

Text

tablet
obverse
1. 1(disz) 2/3(disz) _sar e2 ga2-nun_
2. _da sa10 ku3-babbar_ {disz}s,i-li2-isz8-tar2
3. _dumu_ {disz}i3-li2-sukkal
4. u3 a-wi-il-i3-li2 _szesz-a-ni_
5. _da e2 ga2-nun_ {d}suen-a-zu
6. _sag-bi e2_ {disz}{d}suen-a-zu
7. _sag 2(disz)-bi e-sir2_
8. _ki_ {d}suen-mu-ba-li2-it,
9. {disz}i-din-{d}suen
10. {disz}{d}suen-im-gur-ra-an#-[ni]
11. {disz}i-ri-ba-am-{d}suen
12. {disz}{d}suen-i-qi2-sza-am
13. u3 {d}suen-a-da-lal3
14. _dumu-mesz_ pi-ir-hu-um
15. {disz}s,i-li2-isz8-tar3 _dumu_ {disz}i3-li2-sukkal
16. u3 a-wi-il-i3-li2 _szesz-a-ni_
17. _in-szi-sa10-mesz_
18. 4(disz) _gin2 igi-6(disz)-gal2 ku3-babbar_
19. _sa10# til#-la#-ni-sze3 in-na-an-la2_
reverse
1. [_u4-kur2-sze3 nu-mu]-un#-gi4-gi4-de3_
2. _e2 [x x?] x nu-ub-be2-mesz_
3. [_nu]-mu#-un-da-bala-e_
4. _mu#_ {d}nanna {d}utu
5. u3# ha-am-mu-ra-pi2 _lugal_
6. _in-pa3-mesz_
7. _igi_ qi2-isz-ti-er3-ra x
8. ra-bi si2-ka-tum
9. {disz}{d}nirah-sze-mi _dumu_ a-wi-ia-tum
10. {disz}a-pil-{d}suen _dumu_ {d}nanna-ma-an-szum2
11. {disz}{d}suen-u2-se2-li _dumu_ nu-ur2-i3-li2
12. {disz}{d}utu-tu-ra-am _dumu_ ARAD-{d}nanna
13. {disz}{d}suen-APIN _simug_
14. {disz}ip-qu2-er3-ra _dumu_ na-bi-i3-li2-szu
15. {disz}ip-qu2-sin _dumu_ {d}nanna-ma-an-szum2
16. {disz}a-bu-um-wa-qar [...] x
17. {disz}er3-isz8-tar2 _dumu_ [...]
18. {disz}i3-li2-ta-x-[...]
19. _kiszib lu2-inim-ma-bi-mesz ib2-ra_
20. _iti gan-gan-e3 u4 2(u) 5(disz)-[kam]_
21. _mu inim {d*}[en-lil2]-la2#?-ta* MES{ki} bad3 ma2{ki} ba-an-gul_
  Charpin: du11 an [{d}en-lil2-b]i*-ta*
seal impression
envelope
  (not copied by Jean)
obverse
1. 1(disz) 2/3(disz) _sar# [e2 ga2-nun_]
2. _da sa10# [ku3-babbar_ {disz}s,i-li2-isz8-tar2]
3. u3 [a-wi-il-i3-li2 _szesz-a-ni_]
4. _da e2 [ga2-nun_ {d}suen-a-zu]
5. _sag-[bi e2_ {disz}{d}suen-a-zu]
6. [_sag 2(disz)-bi e-sir2_]
7. _ki_ [{d}suen-mu-ba-li2-it,]
8. {disz}i-din-[{d}suen]
9. {disz}{d}[suen-im-gur-ra-an-ni]
10. {disz}i-ri-[ba-am]-{d}suen
11. {disz}{d}suen#-[i]-qi2-sza-am
12. u3 {d}[suen-a]-da-lal3
13. [_dumu-mesz_ pi]-ir-hu-um
14. [{disz}s,i-li2-isz8-tar3] _dumu_ {disz}i3-li2-sukkal
15. [u3 a-wi]-il#-i3-li2 _szesz-a-ni_
16. [_in-szi]-sa10#-mesz_
17. [4(disz) _gin2 igi-6(disz)]-gal2 ku3-babbar_
18. [_sa10 til-la-ni-sze3 in-na-an-la2_]
reverse
  beginning broken
1'. _nu-mu-un-da-bala-e_
2'. _mu_ {d}nanna {d}utu
3'. u3 ha-am-mu-ra-pi2 _lugal_
4'. _in-pa3-mesz_
5'. _igi_ qi2-isz-ti-er3-ra ra-bi si2-ka-tum
6'. {disz}{d}nirah-sze-mi _dumu_ a-wi-ia-tum
7'. {disz}a-pil-{d}suen _dumu_ {d}nanna-ma-an-szum2
8'. {disz}{d}suen-u2-se2-li _dumu_ nu-ur2-i3-li2
9'. {disz}a-bu-um-wa-qar _dumu_ isz-me-[...]
10'. {disz}{d}utu-tu-ra-am _dumu_ ARAD-[{d}nanna]
11'. {disz}ip-qu2-er3-ra _dumu_ na-bi#-[i3-li2-szu]
  rest broken
seal 1
1. qi2-isz-ti-er3-ra
2. _dumu_ {d}suen-ub-lam
3. _ARAD_ {d}nergal
seal 2
1. {d}utu-tu-ra-am
2. _dumu_ ARAD-{d}nanna
3. _ARAD_ sza {d}szuszin
seal 3
1. ip-qu2-er3-ra
2. _dumu_ na-bi-i3-li2-szu
3. [...]

Text content

Genre(s) Business / Contracts > Purchase and sale contracts
Language(s)

Chronology

Period Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
Accounting Period

Seals

This artifact is impressed by the following seal(s):

Seal Seal Number Provenience Period Date
CDLI Seals 013682 (composite) (P512189) S013682 Kutalla (mod. Tell Sifr) Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
CDLI Seals 013713 (composite) (P513722) S013713 Kutalla (mod. Tell Sifr) Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
CDLI Seals 013714 (composite) (P513723) S013714 Kutalla (mod. Tell Sifr) Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)

Record

LOD URI https://cdli.network/entity/P498195

Physical information

Artifact type Tablet & envelope
Dimensions
Weight
Material(s) Clay
Preservation

Provenance

Provenience Kutalla (mod. Tell Sifr)
Written In
Archive
Excavation Number
Findspot
Stratigraphic Level
Elevation

Collections

Collection(s) British Museum, London, UK
Museum Number BM 033215 & BM 033215a + BM 033308
Accession Number B 058

External resources

External Resource Identifiers
Electronic Babylonian Library (eBL) BM.33215
British Museum Collection (BM) W_B-58

References

  • primary: Archives familiales, 39

    [Charpin1980Archivesfamiliales] Charpin, Dominique. 1980. Archives Familiales et Propriéte Privée En Babylonie Ancienne : Étude Des Documents de “Tell Sifr.” Vol. 12. Hautes Études Orientales.

  • history: Tell Sifr, 39

    [Jean1931TellSifr] Jean, Charles-François. 1931. Tell Sifr : Textes Cunéiformes Conservés Au British Museum. Paris : Librairie orientaliste Paul Geuthner.

  • history: Strassmaier Warka, 031

    [Strassmaier1882Warka] Strassmaier, Johann N. 1882. Texte, Altbabylonischer Verträge Aus Warka. Orient. Congr. Abhandll.

Revisions and credits

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2025-11-28 at 17:07:04 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2025-09-02 at 15:01:29 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2025-07-31 at 13:34:46 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2024-07-16 at 10:33:12 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata, Other metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2023-08-19 at 13:10:32 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact metadata Rattenborg, Rune; Smidt, Gustav Ryberg Geomapping Landscapes of Writing Rattenborg, Rune Approved View
2023-01-20 at 12:10:25 Pagé-Perron, Émilie Artifact metadata Földi, Zsombor J.; Jiménez, Enrique; Pagé-Perron, Émilie Electronic Babylonian Library Pagé-Perron, Émilie Approved View
2019-05-23 at 09:07:31 Foxvog, Daniel A. Transliteration Foxvog, Daniel A. CDLI, CDLI Approved View
2016-04-23 at 00:00:00 CDLI, CDLI Artifact metadata Wagensonner, Klaus CDLI, CDLI Approved View

Cite this Artifact

“TS 039 Artifact Entry.” (2016) 2025. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). November 28, 2025. https://cdli.earth/P498195.
TS 039 artifact entry (No. P498195). (2025, November 28). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P498195 (Original work published 2016)
TS 039 artifact entry (2025) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P498195 (Accessed: October 30, 2026).
@misc{2025TS,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-30]},
	year = {2025},
	month = {nov 28},
	title = {TS 039 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P498195},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P498195},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2025/11/28/
PY  - 2025
ID  - P498195
LB  - CDLI:P498195
M1  - 2026/10/30/
TI  - TS 039 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P498195
ER  -

Cite this Artifact

“TS 039 Artifact Entry.” (2016) 2025. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). November 28, 2025. https://cdli.earth/P498195.
TS 039 artifact entry (No. P498195). (2025, November 28). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P498195 (Original work published 2016)
TS 039 artifact entry (2025) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P498195 (Accessed: October 30, 2026).
@misc{2025TS,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-30]},
	year = {2025},
	month = {nov 28},
	title = {TS 039 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P498195},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P498195},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2025/11/28/
PY  - 2025
ID  - P498195
LB  - CDLI:P498195
M1  - 2026/10/30/
TI  - TS 039 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P498195
ER  -
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