MVN 11, 101 (P116115)

Administrative tablet excavated in Girsu (mod. Tello), dated to the Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC) period and now kept in Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Museum Collection(s)

Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Museum Number

SM 1909.05.281

Period

Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)

Provenience

Girsu (mod. Tello)

Artifact Type

Tablet

Material(s)

Clay

Genre / Subgenre(s)

Administrative (SM catalogue: account of the merchant Ur-šulpae in ur of bitumen, onions, soap, salt etc)

Language(s)

Sumerian

Measurements

114.0 mm × 52.0 mm × 30.0 mm

Text

tablet
obverse
1. 3(u) 9(asz) 3(ban2) sze gur lugal
 en: 39 gur 3 ban2 barley, royal (measure),
2. ku3 1(disz) gin2-a 1(asz) sze gur lugal
 en: silver, in 1 shekel 1 gur royal (measure),
3. ku3-bi 1/2(disz) ma-na 9(disz) gin2 1(u) 8(disz) sze
 en: its silver: 1/2 mana 9 shekels 18 grains,
  calculation: 39 30/300 ÷ 1 = 39 18/180
4. ki ARAD2-mu dumu lugal-pirig-banda3-ta
 en: from ARADmu, son of Lugal-pirigbanda,
  blank space
5. sag-nig2-gur11-ra-kam
 en: are the debits;
6. sza3-bi-ta
 en: therefrom:
7. 3(asz) esir2 E2-A gur
 en: 3 gur EA-bitumen,
8. ku3 1(disz) gin2-a 1(barig) esir2 E2-A lugal-ta
 en: silver, in 1 shekel 1 barig EA-bitumen, royal (measure),
9. 1(asz) 4(barig) 2(ban2) 8(disz) sila3 esir2 E2-A gur 1(barig) 3(ban2)-ta
 en: 1 gur 4 barig 2 ban2 8 sila3 EA-bitumen at 1 barig 3 ban2 each,
10. ku3-bi 1/3(disz){sza} 1(disz) 1/3(disz) gin2 la2 4(disz) sze
 en: its silver: 1/3 (mana) 1 1/3 shekels less 4 grains;
  calculation: (3 ÷ 60/300 =) 15 + (1 268/300 ÷ 90/300 =) 6 93.33/300 = 21 56/180
11. 1(barig) za-ha-din 1(ban2) 5(disz) sila3-ta
 en: 1 barig leeks at 15 sila3 each,
12. ku3-bi 4(disz) gin2
 en: its silver: 4 shekels;
  calculation: 60/300 ÷ 15/300 = 4
13. 2(barig) 3(ban2) szum2-sikil 1(barig) 4(ban2)-ta
 en: 2 barig 3 ban2 garlic at 1 barig 4 ban2 each,
14. ku3-bi 1(disz) 1/2(disz) gin2
 en: its silver: 1 1/2 shekels;
  calculation: 150/300 ÷ 100/300 = 1 1/2
15. 3(barig) 4(ban2) 4(disz) sila3 szum2 gaz 1(barig) 4(ban2)-ta
 en: 3 barig 4 ban2 4 sila3 onion, ground, at 1 barig 4 ban2 each,
16. ku3-bi 2(disz) gin2 igi-4(disz)-gal2 la2 2(disz)#? sze
 en: its silver: 2 1/4 shekels less 2 grains,
  erasure ?
  calculation: 224/300 ÷ 100/300 = 2 43.2/180 (text 2 43/180)
17. 1(u) 4(asz) 1(barig) 1(ban2) 2(disz) sila3 naga gur 1(asz) 3(barig) 3(ban2) gur-ta
 en: 14 gur 1 barig 1 ban2 2 sila3 alkali-plant at 1 gur 3 barig 3 ban2 each,
18. ku3-bi 8(disz) gin2 igi-3(disz)-gal2 2(disz) 1/2(disz) sze
 en: its silver: 8 1/3 shekels 2 1/2 grains,
  calculation: 14 72/300 ÷ 1 210/300 = 8 67.765/180 (text 8 62.5/180, would have required 14g 1b la2 3s)
19. 1(asz) 4(barig) 4(ban2) 6(disz) sila3 mun gur 3(asz) gur-ta
 en: 1 gur 4 barig 4 ban2 6 sila3 salt at 3 gur each,
reverse
1. ku3-bi 2/3(|NINDA2x(SZE.2(ASZ))|) la2 3(disz) sze
 en: its silver: 2/3 shekels less 3 grains;
  calculation: 1 286/300 ÷ 3 = 117.2/180 (text 117/180)
2. 2(u) {gesz}u3-suh5 gesz e2-szum-ta!
 en: 20 pines, lumber from the slaughterhouse,
3. ku3-bi igi-3(disz)-gal2
 en: its silver: 1/3 shekel;
  calculation: 20 ÷ 60 = 1/3
4. 3(barig) {gesz}pesz3 duru5 1(asz) 3(barig) gur-ta
 en: 3 barig figs, fresh, at 1 gur 3 barig each,
5. ku3-bi igi-3(disz)-gal2 7(disz) 1/2(disz) sze
 en: its silver: 1/3 shekel 7 1/2 grains,
  calculation: 180/300 ÷ 1 180/300 = 67.5/180
6. 2(ban2) 7(disz) sila3 zu2-lum 1(asz) gur-ta
 en: 2 ban2 7 sila3 dates at 1 gur each,
7. ku3-bi 1(u) 6(disz) sze ku3
 en: its silver: 16 grains of silver;
  calculation: 27/300 ÷ 1 = 16.2/180 (text 16/180)
8. 1(asz) gu2 4(u) 4(disz) ma-na esir2 had2 1(u) gu2-ta
 en: 1 talent 44 mana bitumen, dried, at 10 talents each,
9. ku3-bi igi-6(disz)-gal2
 en: its silver: 1/6 shekel;
  calculation: 104/60 ÷ 600/60 = 31.2/180 (text 30/180)
  blank space
10. szunigin 1/2(disz) ma-na 9(disz) gin2 2(u) sze ku3-babbar
 en: total: 1/2 mana 9 shekels 20 grains of silver,
  9(disz) over erasure of 8(disz) 5/6(disz)
  calculation: 21 56/180 + 4 + 1 90/180 + 2 43/180 + 8 62.5/180 + 117/180 + 60/180 + 67.5/180 + 16/180 + 30/180 = 21 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 8 + (18 + 56 + 90 + 43 + 62.5 + 117 + 60 + 67.5 + 16 + 30)/180 = 36 + 560/180 = 39 20/180
11. zi-ga
 en: booked out;
12. la2-ia3 1(u) 7(disz) sze ku3-babbar
 en: deficit: 17 grains of silver;
  calculation: 39 18/180 - 39 1/180 = 17/180
  blank space
13. nig2-ka9-ak
 en: account of
14. ur-{d}szul-pa-e3 dam-gar3
 en: Ur-Šulpa’e, the merchant,
15. sza3 uri5{ki}-ma
 en: in Ur;
16. iti ezem-sze-il2-la iti GAN2-masz
 en: month: “Festival-grain-lifted,” and month: “GANmaš,”
17. iti 2(disz)-kam
 en: (a period) of two months;
18. bala-bi 1(disz)-am3
 en: its bala: 1;
19. ur-{d}lamma ensi2
 en: Ur-Lamma, the governor;
20. mu si-mu-ru-um{ki} lu-lu-bu-um{ki} a-ra2 9(disz@t)-kam-asz ba-hul
 en: year: “Simurrum, Lullubum, for the 9th time were destroyed.”
  sic 9(disz@t)

Text content

Genre(s) Administrative (SM catalogue: account of the merchant Ur-šulpae in ur of bitumen, onions, soap, salt etc)
Language(s) Sumerian

Chronology

Period Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)
Accounting Period Šulgi.43.12.00 to Šulgi.44.01.00

Record

Permalink https://cdli.network/entity/P116115

Physical information

Artifact type Tablet
Dimensions 114.0 mm × 52.0 mm × 30.0 mm
Weight
Material(s) Clay
Preservation
complete.

Provenance

Provenience Girsu (mod. Tello)
Written In
Excavation Number
Findspot
Stratigraphic Level
Elevation

Collections

Collection(s) Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Museum Number SM 1909.05.281
Accession Number 06445

External resources

External Resource Identifiers
Database of Neo-Sumerian Texts (BDTNS) 024230

References

  • primary: MVN 11, 101

    [Owen1982MVN11] Owen, David I. 1982. Selected Ur III Texts from the Harvard Semitic Museum. Materiali per Il Vocabolario Neosumerico 11. Roma: Multigrafica Editrice.

  • history: YNER 8, 04

    [Snell1982YNER8] Snell, Daniel C. 1982. Ledgers and Prices. Early Mesopotamian Merchant Accounts. Yale Near Eastern Researches 8. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Revisions and credits

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2024-10-29 at 19:22:04 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata, Other metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2024-10-29 at 19:21:02 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata, Other metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2018-12-18 at 11:12:40 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2018-03-23 at 18:53:26 CDLI Transliteration CDLI CDLI Approved View
2017-03-03 at 09:54:07 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration CDLI CDLI Approved View
2015-07-04 at 14:42:59 CDLI Transliteration CDLI CDLI Approved View
2015-03-13 at 12:45:27 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2015-02-21 at 09:42:42 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2015-02-21 at 09:31:16 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2012-05-19 at 19:22:17 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2011-07-22 at 13:40:21 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2011-05-02 at 14:19:31 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2009-06-03 at 10:20:10 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2006-10-12 at 12:20:50 CDLI Transliteration CDLI CDLI Approved View
2001-12-20 at 00:00:00 CDLI Artifact metadata CDLI CDLI Approved View

Cite this Artifacts

“MVN 11, 101 Artifact Entry.” (2001) 2024. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). October 29, 2024. https://cdli.earth/P116115.
MVN 11, 101 artifact entry (No. P116115). (2024, October 29). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P116115 (Original work published 2001)
MVN 11, 101 artifact entry (2024) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P116115 (Accessed: April 12, 2026).
@misc{2024MVN,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-04-12]},
	year = {2024},
	month = {oct 29},
	title = {MVN 11, 101 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P116115},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P116115},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2024/10/29/
PY  - 2024
ID  - P116115
LB  - CDLI:P116115
M1  - 2026/4/12/
TI  - MVN 11, 101 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P116115
ER  -

Cite this Artifacts

“MVN 11, 101 Artifact Entry.” (2001) 2024. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). October 29, 2024. https://cdli.earth/P116115.
MVN 11, 101 artifact entry (No. P116115). (2024, October 29). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P116115 (Original work published 2001)
MVN 11, 101 artifact entry (2024) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P116115 (Accessed: April 12, 2026).
@misc{2024MVN,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-04-12]},
	year = {2024},
	month = {oct 29},
	title = {MVN 11, 101 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P116115},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P116115},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2024/10/29/
PY  - 2024
ID  - P116115
LB  - CDLI:P116115
M1  - 2026/4/12/
TI  - MVN 11, 101 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P116115
ER  -
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