MSVO 1, 003 (P005070)

Administrative tablet excavated in Uncertain (mod. Jemdet Nasr), dated to the Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC) period and now kept in Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK

Museum Collection(s)

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK

Museum Number

Ashm 1926-0577

Period

Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)

Provenience

uncertain (mod. Jemdet Nasr)

Artifact Type

Tablet

Material(s)

Clay

Genre / Subgenre(s)

Administrative

Language(s)

Undetermined

Measurements

83.0 mm × 56.0 mm × 18.0 mm

Text

tablet
obverse
1.a1. 1(N34) 4(N14) 2(N01) , 1(N57) EN~c# SAL#
 en: 102 (ninda), the length, of the wife of the lord,
1.a2. 1(N34)# 4(N14)# , 1(N58)#
 en: 100, the width:
1.b. 5(N14) 2(N22) , [GAN2]
 en: 5 bur3 2 eše3 field,
  calculation: 102 × 100 = 10,200 sar, = 5 2/3 bur3
2.a1. 1(N34) 4(N14) 2(N01) , 1(N57)# PA~a# GIR3@g~b#
 en: 102 (ninda), the length, of the equid herder,
2.a2. 1(N34) 4(N14) , 1(N58)
 en: 100, the width:
2.b. 5(N14) 2(N22) , GAN2#
 en: 5 bur3 2 eše3 field
  calculation: 102 × 100 = 10,200 sar, = 5 2/3 bur3
3.a1. 1(N34) 4(N14) 2(N01) , [1(N57) GAL~a] SZAB~a#
 en: 102 (ninda), the length, of the chief trade agent,
3.a2. 1(N34)# 4(N14)# , [1(N58)]
 en: 100, the width:
3.b. 5(N14)# 2(N22)# , GAN2#
 en: 5 bur3 2 eše3 field
  calculation: 102 × 100 = 10,200 sar, = 5 2/3 bur3
4.a1. 3(N14)# 6(N01)# [4(N08)?] , [1(N57)] ME~a#
 en: 36 4/10 (ninda), the length, of the priest,
4.a2. 1(N34) 4(N14) , 1(N58)#
 en: 100, the width:
4.b1. 2(N14) , GAN2#
 en: 2 bur3 field
4.b2. 4(N08)# , BAR#
 en: 4/10 iku, perimeter;
  calculation: 36 4/10 × 100 = 3640 sar, = 2 bur3 + 4/10 iku
5.a1. [1(N34) 4(N14) 2(N01)] , [1(N57)] NAM2# DI
 en: 102 (ninda), the length, of the chief justice,
5.a2. 1(N34) 4(N14) , 1(N58)#
 en: 100, the width:
5.b. 5(N14)# 2(N22)# , GAN2#
 en: 5 bur3 2 eše3 field
  calculation: 102 × 100 = 10,200 sar, = 5 2/3 bur3
6. , [...] GAN2# KI# SZAGAN
 en: ... field, land of ...;
reverse
column 1
1. 4(N50)# 9(N14)# 1(N22) , EN~a# GAN2#
 en: 49 bur3 1 eše3 field of the lord;
  calculation in bur3: 24 2/3 × 2 = 49 1/3
2. 2(N50)# 4(N14)# 2(N22)# , KI BU~a#
 en: 24 bur3 2 eše3 field, measured;
  calculation in bur3: 5 2/3 + 5 2/3 + 5 2/3 + 2 + 5 2/3 = 24 2/3
3. 4(N08) , GISZ KI# BAR
 en: 4/10 iku, wooded perimeter land;
  calculation in iku: 4/10 = 4/10
column 2
1. 1(N45)# 1(N50) 4(N14) 4(N08)# , LAGAB~b# GAN2 KI# SZAGAN#
 en: 1 šar2 14 bur3 4/10 iku, total, field, ... .
  calculation: 49 bur3 1 eše3 + 24 bur3 2 eše3 + 4/10 iku = 1 šar2 14 bur3 4/10 iku

Text content

Genre(s) Administrative
Language(s) Undetermined

Chronology

Period Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)
Accounting Period

Record

Permalink https://cdli.network/entity/P005070

Physical information

Artifact type Tablet
Dimensions 83.0 mm × 56.0 mm × 18.0 mm
Weight
Material(s) Clay
Preservation

Provenance

Provenience uncertain (mod. Jemdet Nasr)
Written In
Excavation Number Ashm 1926,577
Findspot
Stratigraphic Level
Elevation

Collections

Collection(s) Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
Museum Number Ashm 1926-0577
Accession Number

References

  • primary: MSVO 1, 3

    [Englund1991MSVO1] Englund, Robert K., Jean-Pierre Grégoire, and Roger J. Matthews. 1991. The Proto-Cuneiform Texts from Jemdet Nasr. I: Copies, Transliterations and Glossary. Materialien Zu Den Frühen Schriftzeugnissen Des Vorderen Orients (MSVO), Band 1. Berlin: Gebr. Mann.

    83x56x18 - badly preserved surface measurement text - discussed by P. Steinkeller, Jb. f. Wirtschaftsgeschichte 1987/S, 13ff., H. Nissen, P. Damerow and R. Englund, Frühe Schrift, 96-99 (catalogue no. 12.2)

  • history: OECT 7, 83

    [Langdon1928OECT7] Langdon, Stephen H. 1928. The H. Weld-Blundell Collection in the Ashmolean Museum. Pictographic Inscriptions from Jemdet Nasr, Excavated by the Oxford and Field Museum Expedition. Oxford Editions of Cuneiform Texts, Vol. 7. London: Oxford University Press.

  • history: JESHO 39, p.1-41, p. 11-12

    [Liverani1996landscape] Liverani, Mario. 1996. “Reconstructing the Rural Landscape of the Ancient Near East.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 39: 1–41.

    with Frühe Schrift figure

  • history: Frühe Schrift, 96-99 (catalogue no. 12.2)

    [Nissen1991FrüheSchrift] Nissen, Hans J., Peter Damerow, and Robert K. Englund. 1991. Frühe Schrift Und Techniken Der Wirtschaftsverwaltung Im Alten Vorderen Orient. Informationsspeicherung Und -Verarbeitung Vor 5000 Jahren. Franzbecker.

Revisions and credits

Created Creator Type Authors Project Reviewer Status Action
2024-07-22 at 14:41:50 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata, Other metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2024-07-03 at 09:17:18 Firth, Richard Artifact metadata, Other metadata Firth, Richard Firth, Richard Approved View
2017-02-19 at 21:23:46 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2014-09-28 at 17:13:38 Englund, Robert K. Transliteration Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View
2007-02-02 at 15:13:18 Dahl, Jacob L. Transliteration Dahl, Jacob L. CDLI Approved View
2006-10-12 at 12:12:59 CDLI Transliteration CDLI CDLI Approved View
2001-12-04 at 00:00:00 CDLI Artifact metadata Englund, Robert K. CDLI Approved View

Cite this Artifacts

“MSVO 1, 003 Artifact Entry.” (2001) 2024. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). July 22, 2024. https://cdli.earth/P005070.
MSVO 1, 003 artifact entry (No. P005070). (2024, July 22). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P005070 (Original work published 2001)
MSVO 1, 003 artifact entry (2024) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P005070 (Accessed: April 10, 2026).
@misc{2024MSVO,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-04-10]},
	year = {2024},
	month = {jul 22},
	title = {MSVO 1, 003 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P005070},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P005070},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2024/7/22/
PY  - 2024
ID  - P005070
LB  - CDLI:P005070
M1  - 2026/4/10/
TI  - MSVO 1, 003 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P005070
ER  -

Cite this Artifacts

“MSVO 1, 003 Artifact Entry.” (2001) 2024. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). July 22, 2024. https://cdli.earth/P005070.
MSVO 1, 003 artifact entry (No. P005070). (2024, July 22). Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). https://cdli.earth/P005070 (Original work published 2001)
MSVO 1, 003 artifact entry (2024) Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). Available at: https://cdli.earth/P005070 (Accessed: April 10, 2026).
@misc{2024MSVO,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-04-10]},
	year = {2024},
	month = {jul 22},
	title = {MSVO 1, 003 artifact entry},
	url = {https://cdli.earth/P005070},
	howpublished = {https://cdli.earth/P005070},
}


TY  - ELEC
DA  - 2024/7/22/
PY  - 2024
ID  - P005070
LB  - CDLI:P005070
M1  - 2026/4/10/
TI  - MSVO 1, 003 artifact entry
UR  - https://cdli.earth/P005070
ER  -
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