MDP 06, 386

~3000 BCE·Uruk Period·P008166

Translation · reference

Experimental

Source: CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P008166.

Translation · AI engine

read from photo

Low confidence

[Heading/category sign M157 — institutional or commodity identifier, meaning uncertain] [M249+M195+M038+M145 — further categorical identifiers]: 3 units [x — damaged/unread sign]: [...] 2(N39B) 1(N24) [quantities in uncertain metrological system] [M206~j — commodity or category]: 5 units [M206~i — commodity or category]: [...] [M128~e — commodity or category]: 5 units [M458~a — commodity or category]: 5 units [M128~e — commodity or category]: [...] [M039~c — commodity or category]: 3 units [M039~e — commodity or category]: 3 units [M032 — commodity or category]: 2 units [...]: 2 units

9 uncertain terms ↓

M157~a — Heading or category sign of uncertain meaning; its institutional referent at Susa is not established. May denote a commodity type, a sub-institution, or a heading category.
|M195+M038| — Compound (ligature) sign; the meaning of this combination is not securely identified in the proto-cuneiform corpus, especially at Susa where sign values may diverge from Uruk usage.
N39B — An elongated impressed numeral of disputed value; may represent a large area or capacity unit depending on the counting system in use for the commodity in question.
N24 — Medium-order numerical sign; its quantitative value is commodity- and system-dependent and cannot be converted to a modern equivalent without fuller context.
N34 — High-order impressed numeral; exact value depends on the metrological sub-system (e.g., grain capacity, livestock tally, or area measure). Possibly represents a large round number (e.g., 10 or 60 of a lower unit).
M206~j / M206~i — Variant forms of sign M206; distinction between ~j and ~i sub-variants may indicate different commodities or sub-categories, but the referents are not firmly established.
M128~e — Possibly related to a specific commodity or institutional category at Susa; the ~e variant is attested but its meaning in the Susa corpus is debated.
M458~a — Sign with uncertain commodity reference; appears in proto-cuneiform lists but its semantic value at Susa specifically is not resolved.
M039~c / M039~e# — The # mark on M039~e# indicates the reading is uncertain/damaged. M039 variants appear in proto-cuneiform lists; their specific referents here are unclear. The ~e# reading is particularly tentative.

Reasoning ↓

Visually examining the upper fragment (obverse, labeled Sb 15208): the tablet is heavily cracked and reassembled from multiple sherds. The surface is badly abraded in the lower half, but on the upper-left face a cluster of impressed and incised proto-cuneiform signs is visible. I can make out what appear to be complex ligature signs (consistent with the compound signs like |M195+M038| noted in the transliteration), numerical impressed strokes in groups (consistent with N01-type numerals), and at least one sign that could be M206 or a similar rounded impressed form. The right side of the upper fragment shows a column of vertical impressed strokes consistent with a series of N34 or N01 numerals arranged in a list. The lower fragment (reverse or a second face) is far more damaged — surface is heavily spalled and eroded, with only faint traces of incised lines visible; I cannot read any signs there with confidence. The photo broadly aligns with the scholar-provided transliteration in showing a multi-entry list format with signs and numerical notations, but the resolution and damage prevent sign-by-sign confirmation. The sign identifications (M157, M249, M206, M128, M039, M032, M458) use the Protocuneiform Sign List notation; none of these map cleanly to established Sumerian or Akkadian words at this early stage, and their commodity referents at Susa remain contested in the literature on proto-Elamite and proto-cuneiform archives.

Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · prompt 2026-05-12/v4-interpretation · May 15, 2026 · 2056 in / 1316 out tokens

Why it matters

Transliteration

M157~a ,
M249~n |M195+M038| M145~n , 3(N01)
x , [...] 2(N39B) 1(N24)
M206~j , 5(N34)
M206~i , [...]
M128~e , 5(N34)
M458~a , 5(N34)
M128~e , [...]
M039~c , 3(N01)
M039~e# , 3(N01)
M032 , 2(N01)
[...] , 2(N01)

Scholarly note

Catalogue entry from CDLI (Proto-Elamite (ca. 3100-2900 BC)) — MDP 06, 386. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).

Attribution

Image: Louvre Museum, Paris, France (P008166) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. source
Translation excerpted from CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P008166..

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