Cuneiform building plans: 3 (2024-06-30)

Created by: Englund, Robert K.

The two Ashmolean Museum fragments Ashm 1911-238 & 239 appear to be part of a larger tablet, describing a substantial building measuring some 20×25 m.

The left half of a floor plan from the Ur III period (ca. 2100-2000 BC) appears preserved on two fragments in the Ashmolean Museum (see the previous entry). Measurements of the outer walls and the inner rooms are given in “cubits” (Sumerian kuš3, ca. 50 cm) and fractions of cubits, and ninda = 12 cubits, or about 6m. It appears that the edges of both fragments, said to be from Umma, were evened out to give the appearance of complete texts and therefore add to their purchase price. Translation: Room 1    1 1/2 ninda less 1 “fist” (1/3 cubit), the length;    11 cubits, the width; Room 2    1 ninda 2 cubits 2 “fists”, the length;    4 cubits 1 “open-hand” (1/2 cubit), the width; Room 3    1 ninda 5 cubits 1 “fist” the length;    4 cubits 1 “open-hand”, the width; Room 4    11 cubits the length;    6 cubits the width; Room 5    1 running ninda 2 cubits the length;    5 cubits the width; Room 6    n ... the length;    n ... the width; Room 7    10 cubits ... the length;    n ... the width; Room 8    n ... the length;    n ... the width; Room 9    n ... the length;    3 cubits the width; rest broken CDLI entries: P142749

credit: Englund, Robert K.