Independent English readings of Sumerian clay tablets that, as far as we could check, had no published English translation. We translate them ourselves from CDLI transliterations. Each day we publish at least ten new tablets. All readings are unofficial and may contain errors. See About the Translations and Methodology for sources, how we handle uncertainties, dating (middle chronology), and limitations.
Browse or find tablets by volume, place, king, or type below. Each link points to the volume page and the specific row. Newest first. These lists are indexes only; the full stories live on their own pages.
Volumes
Each volume holds fifty tablets. The open volume receives new rows; the next volume opens only when the current one is full.
| Volume | Tablets | Latest |
|---|---|---|
| Volume 2 | 51–100 | Six Shekels and an Envelope |
| Volume 1 | 1–50 | From the Runaways to the Earthworks |
By place
These lists point at a volume and a row. Newest first.
- Garšana: 12, Say to Lalli’a · 4, Dirt on the Gardeners
- Girsu: 54, The General’s Son and the Judge · 53, Bread for a Soldier from Iri-az · 48, The Foreman Swore by the King · 46, The Judge, the Elamite and the Canal Men · 44, An Oath for a Dead Ox · 35, On One List but Not the Other · 32, Beer for the Governor of Sabum · 29, Flour for the Road East · 28, The Boundary Orchard Gang · 24, Seventy-Three Dead Animals · 19, Beer for the Fugitive-Catchers · 18, The Lady’s Runaway Fisherman · 11, The Hunt for the Palace’s Runaways · 6, Two Goats for the Road to Elam · 3, The Archivist Who Erased a Tablet
- Nippur: 49, A Priest Borrows Thirty-Six Shekels · 45, Ten Days’ Wages in Advance · 43, Three Times to the Amorite Land · 23, Out of Custody in Nippur · 5, Bail in Nippur · 2, Unchained
- Puzriš-Dagan: 60, Six Shekels and an Envelope · 57, Sealed by Judge Šu-Suen · 56, Deliveries for the God Šulgi · 55, A Judge and His Son Bring Lambs · 41, A Sheep for Šulgi’s Throne · 39, Chickpeas, Salt and an Oath · 34, Twice the Barley · 25, Whatever Is in the Basket · 13, Twice She Ran · 7, A Herd Shared Out
- Umma: 58, Guarantor for a Runaway Slave · 52, Barley for the Fled Ox-Drivers · 51, The Fled Man’s Barley · 50, From the Runaways to the Earthworks · 47, Short at Kamari · 42, Barley by Boat to Ur · 40, Three Women Gone from the Mill · 38, A Potter in Custody · 36, The Stolen Receipt · 33, What Lulu Took · 31, The Lost Gold Dog · 30, They Will Confirm · 27, Counted Short · 26, Flour for an Oath · 22, The Jenny and Her Foal · 21, Oil for the Women of Šara · 20, From Flight · 17, Once Inim-Utu Swears · 16, Never Sold · 15, Akaka, Seven Shekels · 10, Forty-Two Women of Nippur · 9, Property of the Palace? · 8, The Physician’s Missing Slave Woman · 1, The Goat That Was Stolen and Cooked
- Ur: 59, Mother and Daughter Sold Together · 37, By His Own Mouth · 14, The Moon God’s Donkeys
By king
- Rim-Sin: 59, Mother and Daughter Sold Together
- Ibbi-Suen: 60, Six Shekels and an Envelope · 45, Ten Days’ Wages in Advance · 34, Twice the Barley · 13, Twice She Ran · 5, Bail in Nippur · 1, The Goat That Was Stolen and Cooked
- Ibbi-Suen, or possibly Šulgi: 20, From Flight
- Šu-Suen: 55, A Judge and His Son Bring Lambs · 52, Barley for the Fled Ox-Drivers · 51, The Fled Man’s Barley · 49, A Priest Borrows Thirty-Six Shekels · 44, An Oath for a Dead Ox · 40, Three Women Gone from the Mill · 39, Chickpeas, Salt and an Oath · 38, A Potter in Custody · 32, Beer for the Governor of Sabum · 14, The Moon God’s Donkeys · 12, Say to Lalli’a · 4, Dirt on the Gardeners
- Amar-Suen: 57, Sealed by Judge Šu-Suen · 56, Deliveries for the God Šulgi · 50, From the Runaways to the Earthworks · 42, Barley by Boat to Ur · 41, A Sheep for Šulgi’s Throne · 36, The Stolen Receipt · 31, The Lost Gold Dog · 26, Flour for an Oath · 24, Seventy-Three Dead Animals · 23, Out of Custody in Nippur · 22, The Jenny and Her Foal · 21, Oil for the Women of Šara · 17, Once Inim-Utu Swears · 16, Never Sold · 15, Akaka, Seven Shekels · 10, Forty-Two Women of Nippur · 9, Property of the Palace? · 8, The Physician’s Missing Slave Woman · 7, A Herd Shared Out
- Amar-Suen, or possibly Išbi-Erra: 2, Unchained
- Šulgi: 54, The General’s Son and the Judge · 53, Bread for a Soldier from Iri-az · 28, The Boundary Orchard Gang · 3, The Archivist Who Erased a Tablet
- Šulgi, possibly: 47, Short at Kamari
- Year not given: 58, Guarantor for a Runaway Slave · 48, The Foreman Swore by the King · 46, The Judge, the Elamite and the Canal Men · 43, Three Times to the Amorite Land · 37, By His Own Mouth · 35, On One List but Not the Other · 33, What Lulu Took · 30, They Will Confirm · 29, Flour for the Road East · 27, Counted Short · 25, Whatever Is in the Basket · 19, Beer for the Fugitive-Catchers · 18, The Lady’s Runaway Fisherman · 11, The Hunt for the Palace’s Runaways · 6, Two Goats for the Road to Elam
By type
Many tablets record mixed administrative and economic activity. The groupings below are for browsing convenience and follow the dominant character of each text.
Legal and contractual
- 60, Six Shekels and an Envelope (interest-free loan)
- 59, Mother and Daughter Sold Together (sale of slaves)
- 58, Guarantor for a Runaway Slave
- 49, A Priest Borrows Thirty-Six Shekels
- 45, Ten Days’ Wages in Advance
- 44, An Oath for a Dead Ox
- 39, Chickpeas, Salt and an Oath
- 38, A Potter in Custody
- 37, By His Own Mouth
- 36, The Stolen Receipt
- 23, Out of Custody in Nippur
- 16, Never Sold
- 15, Akaka, Seven Shekels
- 8, The Physician’s Missing Slave Woman
- 5, Bail in Nippur
- 2, Unchained
- 1, The Goat That Was Stolen and Cooked
Administrative and economic records
Deliveries, allocations, inventories, labor, and other day-to-day economic administration. Most remaining tablets fall here (receipts of barley, animals, flour, beer, personnel lists, runaway-related administrative notes, etc.). See the full place and king lists above, or browse the Volume 1 and Volume 2 pages for the complete set.
- 57, Sealed by Judge Šu-Suen
- 56, Deliveries for the God Šulgi
- 55, A Judge and His Son Bring Lambs
- 54, The General’s Son and the Judge
- 53, Bread for a Soldier from Iri-az
- 52, Barley for the Fled Ox-Drivers
- 51, The Fled Man’s Barley
- 50, From the Runaways to the Earthworks
- … and the remaining administrative records listed under places and kings.
By museum number
CDLI P-numbers. Newest first.
- P142099 · P415079 · P429777 · P144262 · P107741 · P117594 · P128477 · P128512 · P144687 · P291384 · P292536 · P121591 · P134311 · P118561 · P113534 · P113879 · P117361 · P121052 · P290670 · P143881 · P145060 · P118608 · P144702 · P137660 · P290574 · P113477 · P131629 · P145282 · P118467 · P339534 · P145366 · P128508 · P116379 · P405496 · P292102 · P113937 · P110315 · P113796 · P339940 · P142753 · P390085 · P248719 · P110355 · P339320 · P339321 · P412053 · P136341 · P131571 · P450151 · P128507 · P248903 · P200714 · P130120 · P115520 · P406567 · P122219 · P324075 and P324198 · P492893 · P142864 · P113863
For full stories see the volume pages or the Sumerian tablet translations category.