TS 083 (P498238)

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 033250 & BM 033250a

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. 2/3(disz) _sar e2 ki-szub-ba_
2. _da sa10 ku3_ na-bi-{d}en-lil2
3. u3 _da sa10 ku3_ s,i-li2-isz8-tar2
4. sza _ki_ a-na-{d}suen-e-mi-id i-sza-mu
5. _sag dumu-mesz_ pir-hu-um
6. u3 _sag sa10 ku3_ s,i-li2-isz8-tar2
7. _ki_ mu-ha-du-um u3 i3-li2-i-din-nam _dumu-ni_
8. {disz}{d}suen-im-gur-an-ni _dumu_ pir-hu-um
9. u3 {d}suen-i-qi2-sza-am _szesz-ni_
10. {disz}s,i-li2-isz8-tar2 _dumu_ i3-li2-sukkal
11. u3 a-wi-il-i3-li2 _szesz-ni_
12. _in-szi-sa10-mesz_
13. 2(disz) _gin2 ku3-babbar sa10 til-la-ni-sze3_
14. _in-na-an-la2-mesz_
15. _u4-kur2-sze3 inim-gar-ra_
16. _in-na-ab-gi4-gi4-mesz_
reverse
1. _mu_ sa-am-su-i-lu-na _lugal_
2. _in-pa3-mesz_
3. _igi_ i3-li2-ip-pa-al-sa3-am ra-bi-a-nu
4. _igi_ i3-li2-i-qi2-sza-am _dumu_ na-ra-am-{d}iszkur
5. _igi_ na-bi-i3-li2-szu _dub-sar_
6. _igi_ i3-li2-i-qi2-sza-am _dumu_ i-nun-e2-a
7. _igi_ AN-KA-{d}nin-<szubur> _dumu_ a-pil-i3-li2-szu
  Charpin reads: AN-KA-{d}<nin>-szubur
8. _igi_ {d}suen-mu-sza-lim _sipa_
9. _kiszib lu2-inim-ma-bi-mesz_
10. _mu_ sa-am-su-i-lu-na _lugal {uruda}ki-lugal-gub hur-sag i7 didli-bi he-nun he2-gal2-bi tum3-tum3_
  (seal impressions)
envelope
obverse
1. 2/3(disz) _sar e2 ki-szub-ba_
2. _da# sa10 ku3_ na-bi-{d}en-lil2
3. [u3] _da sa10 ku3_ s,i-[li2]-isz8-tar2
4. [sza] it#-ti a-na-{d}suen-[e]-mi#-id
5. [i]-sza#-mu
6. [_sag dumu]-mesz_ pir-hu-um
7. [u3 _sag] sa10# ku3_ s,i-li2-isz8-tar2
8. [it-ti mu]-ha#-du-um <u3> i3-li2-i-din-nam _dumu-ni_
9. [{disz}{d}suen]-im#-gur-an-ni _dumu_ pir-[hu]-um
10. [u3 {d}suen]-i-qi2-sza-am _szesz-ni_
11. [{disz}s,i-li2]-isz8-tar2 _dumu_ i3-li2-sukkal#
12. [u3 a-wi-il-i3-li2 _szesz]-ni#_
  rest broken
reverse
  beginning broken
1'. _u4-kur2-sze3 u4 nu-me-[a]-ka#_
2'. _inim-gar-ra in-na-ab-gi4-gi4-mesz_
3'. _nu-mu-un-da-bala-e#_
4'. _mu lugal-bi in-pa3_
5'. _igi_ i3-li2-ip-pa-al-sa3-am ra-bi-a-nu
6'. _igi#_ i3-li2-i-qi2-sza-am _dumu_ i-nun-e2-a
7'. [_igi_] i3-li2-i-qi2-sza-am _dumu_ na-ra-am-{d}iszkur
8'. [_igi_ AN]-KA-{d}nin#?-szubur#? _dumu#_ a-pil-i3-li2-szu
9'. [_igi_ {d}]suen#-mu-sza-lim _dumu_ aq*-bi-a-hu*
10'. [_igi_] ta#-ri-ba-tum _dumu_ a-gu-u2-a
11'. [_igi_ na-bi]-i3#-li2#-szu# _dub#-[sar_]
  rest broken
bottom
1. _kiszib_ i3-li2-i-qi2-sza-am
seal 1
1. {d}suen-[im]-gur-an-ni
2. _dumu_ pi-ir-hu-um
3. [...]
seal 2
1. i3-li2-ip-pa-al-sa3-am
2. _dumu_ qi2-isz-ti-{d}er3-ra
3. _ARAD_ {d}nergal
seal 3
1. i3-li2-i-qi2-sza-am
2. _dumu_ na-ra-am-{d}iszkur
3. _ARAD_ {d}iszkur
seal 4
1. [i-nun-e2-a]
2. _dumu_ il3-szu-ba-ni
3. [...]
seal 5
  seal broken
1. _kiszib_ i3-li2-i-qi2-sza-am

Text content

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

Chronology

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

Seals

MVS 17, 25

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

Seal Seal Number Provenience Period Date
CDLI Seals 013733 (composite) (P513742) S013733 Kutalla (mod. Tell Sifr) Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
CDLI Seals 013750 (composite) (P513766) S013750 Kutalla (mod. Tell Sifr) Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
CDLI Seals 013758 (composite) (P513774) S013758 Kutalla (mod. Tell Sifr) Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
CDLI Seals 013761 (composite) (P513777) S013761 Kutalla (mod. Tell Sifr) Old Babylonian (ca. 1900-1600 BC)
dummy composite seal for unidentified seals (P533185) S999999 - -

Record

LOD URI https://cdli.network/entity/P498238

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 033250 & BM 033250a
Accession Number B 093

External resources

External Resource Identifiers
Electronic Babylonian Library (eBL) BM.33250
British Museum Collection (BM) W_B-93

References

  • primary: Archives familiales, 83

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

  • history: MVS 17, no. 25

    [Colbow1995MVS17] Colbow, Gudrun. 1995. Die Spätaltbabylonische Glyptik Südbabyloniens. Münchener Vorderasiatische Studien 17. München, Wien: Profil Verlag.

    (seals)

  • history: Tell Sifr, 83

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

  • history: Strassmaier Warka, 065

    [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
2023-09-09 at 18:41:45 Rattenborg, Rune Artifact metadata Rattenborg, Rune 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 09:08:09 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 083 Artifact Entry.” (2016) 2025. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). November 28, 2025. https://cdli.earth/P498238.
TS 083 artifact entry (No. P498238). (2025, November 28). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P498238 (Original work published 2016)
TS 083 artifact entry (2025) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P498238 (Accessed: October 22, 2026).
@misc{2025TS,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-22]},
	year = {2025},
	month = {nov 28},
	title = {TS 083 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P498238},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P498238},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2025/11/28/
PY  - 2025
ID  - P498238
LB  - CDLI:P498238
M1  - 2026/10/22/
TI  - TS 083 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P498238
ER  -

Cite this Artifact

“TS 083 Artifact Entry.” (2016) 2025. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). November 28, 2025. https://cdli.earth/P498238.
TS 083 artifact entry (No. P498238). (2025, November 28). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P498238 (Original work published 2016)
TS 083 artifact entry (2025) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P498238 (Accessed: October 22, 2026).
@misc{2025TS,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-10-22]},
	year = {2025},
	month = {nov 28},
	title = {TS 083 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P498238},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P498238},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2025/11/28/
PY  - 2025
ID  - P498238
LB  - CDLI:P498238
M1  - 2026/10/22/
TI  - TS 083 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P498238
ER  -
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