Position in chronology
MVN 20, 204
Translation · reference
ExperimentalSource: CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P143137.
Why it matters
Transliteration
1(disz) udu niga 1(disz) masz2 niga en-lil2 1(disz) udu niga 1(disz) masz2 niga nin-lil2 masz2 lu-ub2 ab-e3 2(disz) udu niga e2-da 2(disz) udu niga en-zi-kalam-ma 2(disz) <udu> niga ki lugal-husz nansze-GIR2@g-gal maszkim iti u4 2(u) 8(disz) ba-zal szunigin 8(disz) udu niga 2(disz) masz2 niga zi-ga ki na-lu5 iti ezem-mah mu szul-gi lugal-e ur-bi2-lum lu-lu-bu si-mu-ru-um u3 kar2-har 1(asz)-sze3 sag-bi szu-tag-a bi2-in-ra
Scholarly note
Catalogue entry from CDLI (Ur III (ca. 2100-2000 BC)) — MVN 20, 204. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format). [year-name] Dated to Šulgi y1 — Šulgi became king based on canonical year-name formula in the transliteration.
Attribution
Image: State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation (P143137) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. source
Translation excerpted from CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P143137..
Related tablets
Related sources
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Marks the boundary between proto-writing and writing. We can see signs being used systematically — but not yet phonetically. The leap to recording speech itself comes a few centuries later.
The earliest historical document in human history. Before this, we have lists, accounts, and dedications. Here, for the first time, a ruler tells us what happened — with names, places, and consequences.