MS 2863/08

~3100 BCE·Uruk Period·P006174

Translation · reference

Experimental

Source: CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P006174.

Translation · AI engine

read from photo

Low confidence

3(N14) [sheep/cattle units?], SU~a PAP~a 4(N01) [...], X [...] 4(N01), X X 1(N01), SZA 1(N01), DI 1(N01), X 1(N01) [...], [...] [...], [...] 1(N34) 3(N14) 2(N01), |(UDU~axTAR)~a| TAK4~a X [...]

7 uncertain terms ↓

SU~a — Proto-cuneiform sign of uncertain lexical value in this period; possibly denoting a body part (skin/hide), a commodity class, or a personal name element. Cannot determine meaning from context alone.
PAP~a — Possibly 'elder,' 'supervisor,' or a title in later Sumerian; in proto-cuneiform its semantic value is debated. May denote a category of worker or administrator.
SZA — Proto-cuneiform sign; possibly related to later Sumerian 'šà' (interior/heart) or a commodity designation. Context insufficient for confident reading.
DI — Proto-cuneiform sign; possibly related to later Sumerian 'di' (judgment/case) or a personal name element, but in proto-cuneiform administrative context meaning is not established.
|(UDU~axTAR)~a| — A compound sign in proto-cuneiform denoting a category of sheep or small cattle; the exact animal subcategory (sex, age, quality) indicated by the TAR element is debated in the literature.
TAK4~a — Proto-cuneiform sign; meaning uncertain; in some administrative contexts associated with 'remainder' or a specific transaction type, but not securely established for this period.
N14 / N01 / N34 — Numerical signs in the proto-cuneiform sexagesimal or bisexagesimal system; N34 is a higher-order unit (conventionally 60× N01 in the sexagesimal system). The exact counting system applied depends on the commodity, which is only partially legible here.

Reasoning ↓

Visually examining the photo (MS 2863/08): the obverse (upper central image) shows a heavily worn, reddish-brown clay fragment. The upper portion preserves three clearly visible large circular impressions (round-impression numerals, consistent with N14 signs) and what appears to be a triangular/angular sign group to their right, consistent with the transliteration's first line '3(N14), SU~a PAP~a'. Below this, rows of smaller circular impressions (N01 signs) and incised linear/wedge signs are partially visible, though surface erosion and a large lacuna in the lower-right area obscure much of the middle section. The reverse (lower image) shows circular impressions and angular incised signs, consistent with the summary line containing |(UDU~axTAR)~a| and numerical totals. The tablet is significantly damaged: the right edge is broken away, the surface is pitted, and several sign groups are lost entirely — consistent with the multiple [...] lacunae in the transliteration. The photo broadly confirms the transliteration's structure (three large circles at top, rows of single circles below, signs to right of numerals), but individual commodity signs and personal/category signs in the middle rows cannot be verified from the photo due to resolution and erosion. The summary total line '1(N34) 3(N14) 2(N01)' on the reverse cannot be fully confirmed visually but the presence of circular impressions there is consistent. The reading |(UDU~axTAR)~a| for a sheep/cattle determinative is standard for Uruk-period livestock accounts (cf. Green & Nissen, Zeichenliste, ATU series).

Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · prompt 2026-05-12/v4-interpretation · May 14, 2026 · 1949 in / 1198 out tokens

Why it matters

Transliteration

3(N14) , SU~a PAP~a#
4(N01)# [...] , X [...]
4(N01) , X X
1(N01) , SZA#
1(N01) , DI#
1(N01)# , X
1(N01)# [...] , [...]
[...] , [...]
1(N34) 3(N14) 2(N01)# , |(UDU~axTAR)~a|# TAK4~a X [...]

Scholarly note

Catalogue entry from CDLI (Uruk III (ca. 3200-3000 BC)) — MS 2863/08. No scholarly translation has been published; the transliteration is from the ATF (CDLI's Atf-Friendly format).

Attribution

Image: Schøyen Collection, Oslo, Norway (P006174) — Photo via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative. source
Translation excerpted from CDLI raw catalogue, no published translation. P-number P006174..

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