Position in chronology
AAICAB 1/3, pl. 224, Bod S 187
About this tablet
This is a sealed Ur III administrative record from Umma, dated to the reign of King Šulgi (r. c. 2094–2047 BCE). It records a delivery of livestock — 5 grain-fed oxen and 68 grain-fed sheep — authenticated by the seal of the city governor. Rolled beneath the main text is the seal legend itself, naming its owner, Nigar-ki-du10, a 'chief constable' who identifies himself as the servant of Nin-tur-tur, described as the 'beloved child' of King Šulgi — likely a royal daughter with her own household and officials. Such texts show how the Ur III state's bureaucracy extended even into the personal establishments of royal family members.
Plain-language summary by the engine — meant as a doorway into the literal translation below.
Written in modern English
This tablet is stamped with the governor's official seal, certifying a shipment of 5 fattened oxen and 68 fattened sheep. The livestock are recorded in connection with Nin-tur-tur, who is identified as a beloved child of King Šulgi — apparently a princess with her own staff. Stamped into the clay is the personal seal of Nigar-ki-du10, a chief constable and son of a man named Giri-[...] (the rest of his name is broken away), who declares himself to be this princess's servant. In short: a routine receipt for grain-fed cattle and sheep, sealed by a palace official who served the king's daughter.
A modern paraphrase of the literal translation — same content, contemporary voice.
Translation — our engine
Our engineSeal of the governor (ensi2): 5 grain-fed oxen, 68 grain-fed sheep — (recipient/authority) Nin-tur-tur, beloved child of Šulgi, the king. (Seal inscription:) Nigar-ki-du10, the chief constable (gal5-la2-gal), son of Giri-[...], is your servant.
Our translation engine — Sonnet 5. Reads the photo, translates the cuneiform, and writes a plain-language interpretation. See methodology for limits.
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Transliteration
kiszib3 ensi2-ka 5(disz) gu4 niga 1(gesz2) 8(disz) udu niga nin-tur-tur dumu ki-ag2 szul-gi lugal nigar-ki#-[du10] gal5-la2-gal dumu giri3? [...] ARAD2-zu
Scholarly note
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)) — AAICAB 1/3, pl. 224, Bod S 187. This record has no stored scholarly English translation; the existence of published translations has not been checked; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).
Attribution
Image: Bod S 187 (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK) — from Umma (mod. Tell Jokha) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (cdli.earth/artifacts, P249091). source
Translation excerpted from engine:claude-sonnet-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved).
Related tablets
Related sources
An early example of administrative writing from Uruk. Its fragmentary numerical entries and commodity signs document record-keeping during the formative period of writing.
A surviving administrative record of named people and livestock in the Ur III period. Together with other archives, such accounts reveal the work of managing animals, deliveries and institutional responsibility.