A rectangular clay tablet inscribed with 221 lines of Sumerian cuneiform for a monthly list of activities involving copper; accompanied by a copy of a signed scholarly note by the late W.G. Lambert, Professor of Assyriology at the University of Birmingham, 1970-1993, which states: 'Clay Tablet 170 x 171 mm, inscribed with a total of 221 lines of Sumerian Cuneiform in 10 columns five on each side. The upper right-hand comer is missing, and the lower right-hand portion is composed of two pieces rejoined with some loss of surface at the joints. However, the greater part of the tablet remains, and is well preserved, being written in a clear scribal hand. This is an administrative document from the town of Umma, in the far south of Sumer, being dated to the 7th year of Shu - Sin, fourth king of the Third Dynasty of Ur, e. 2031 B.C. It is a monthly list of activities involving copper, being dated to the 20 month of the year (April/ May by our calendar). At this time Sumer was bureaucratically run by the central government, and the government dominated many aspects of the economy. Thus metalworking, which depended on imports of ore, was centrally run. The craftsmen were provided with the materials, and they produced the tools and weapons needed for the workers army. But everything had to be recorded in writing, and this document lists the large number of individual small tablets written during this month recording so many of this or that tool of copper, and the name of the responsible person written on the tablet. It is not stated whether these documents record the receipt of finished tools from the craftsmen who made them, or the issue of tools to craftsmen who needed them for daily use. In the ancient world this was too well known to be recorded. Obviously both kinds of documents must have existed, so until there is much more known it is best to leave this matter open. The tablet attests to the vast amount of organised activity in Sumer at this time.

TRANSLATION

1 edim. 3 minas; 3 gravers, 2 minas; 3 axes, 2 minas; 3 sickles, 12 minas; document of Lugale -
bansha
22 hows: 65 sickles, 12 minas; 60 axes: document of Abba - gina
120 hoes: 20 sickles: document of Gir
8 hoes: document of Lugal - nisage
[...] hoes: 10 sickles: document of Ur-Urra
[...] axes, [...] sickles; 3 shekels of silver: document of Lugalitida, forman
12 swickles: document of Agu
[..] hoes: [...] sickles: document of Lugal - hegal
12 sickles, 80 silas of ritual flour, document of Ur-Nintu
60 hoes; 10 sickles: document of Irmu, animal - flattener
13 hoes, 65 sickles: document of Sangani
12 sickles. 12 minas: document of Lugal - igihush
10 sickles document of A'akalla foreman
17 sickles, 12 minas: document of Shara - amu, foreman
38 sickles: document of Bashaga
1 sheep for the butler, 1 axe, 1 1/2 minas; 120 sickles, 12 minas; document of Ikalla
1 axe, 2 minas; 3 hoes, 2/3 of a mina: document of Ur- Mes, brewer
33 sickles: document of Lu-balasig, potter
4 sickles: document of Dagu
2 sickles: document of Ur- Sin
60 sickles document of Ur- dingiregal
1 talent of copper: document of Ur - Numushda
1/3 of a mina of [...]: document of [...]
5[.....]: document of Lu- [.....], chamberlain
6 sickles: document of Ur - Geshtinanaka, chamberlain
60 hoes; 180 sickles document of Ur-Amma, .....
5 sickles: document of Ur - Amma, son of Nadi
3 sickles: document of Lugal - kuzu, his assistant
60 hoes; 60 sickles: document of Ur-gigir, butler
1 axe, 11/2 minas: document of Ur-Amma, builder
60 sickles: document of Ur - Ba[ba]
3 [...] document of A [...], animal-fattener
2 sickles: document of Lugal - azida, his brother
(gap of about 6 lines)
1 [...]: document of U[r - ...], son of [...]
29 1/3 minas of [copper]; 1/3 mina of [tin/lead], 10 sickles: document of Ur- [.....] singer
21 [...]: document of [...]
9 [...]; document of Shara - [....]
4 [...]: document of Lugal - azida, assistant
2 sickles: document of Ur- Shara, son of Shehskalla
[...] sickles; [...] + 20 hoes: document of Bidugga
1 axe; 2 hoes: document of Nabsha, builder
(gap of about 15 lines)
[...]; 2 axes: document of Lushaga
2 hoes; 6 sickles; 1/2 shekel of silver: document of Shara - amu, officer
1 hoes; 2 sickels; 1/2 shekel of silver: document of Ur- Dingiregal
1 axe [85 sickles]; 2 gur of [barley] flour; 4 gur 180 sila of [....];
1[...]; 22 minas of [copper]: document of Sheshkalla, son of [....]
[....] minas of copper: document of Lugal - E'igizumahe, son of [...]
1 axe: 1 gur of barley flour: document of Lu - Shara, son [...]
1 sickle; 1/2 shekel of silver: document of Magurre
10 [...] [...]
(gap of about 15 lines)
[...]: document of Ur - Emash, .....
10 sickles; 2 shekels of silver: document of Ur - Alama
11 (?) [...]
(gap of about 2 lines)
[...]1 axe: document of Sharakam
60 sickles: document of Ku - Shara
10 sickles; [...] hoes; [...] axes: 3 shekels of silver: document of Sheshklala, son of [...] -...
10 [.....]; document of [...]
1[...]: document of B[idugga]
3 [.....]; document of L[u - ...]
1 [......]; document of [....]
(3 lines missing)
1 graver, 1/2 a mina: document of Sheshkalla, barber
3 sickles: document of Adu, son of L[u-dugg]a
8 [...]; 2 gur of barley: document of Ur- [...]
3 sheep; 2 goats; 1 talent of copper, 1 axe; 2 sickles: document of Lugal - gude, overseer of cattle
9 sickles, document of Lu - sig....
2 shekels of silver; 10 shekels of tin/lead; 6 shekels of copper: document of Bazige, carpenter
2 gur of barley; 1 mina of bronze: 1 1/2 minas of copper: document of Asog. carpenter
18 shekels of bronze; 1/2 mina of copper: document of Lugal - mu'i mu'izu, carpenter
1 sickle document of Ur- [....]
1 sheep; 20 minas of ......:1 1/3 minas of copper, 120 sila of barley: document of Nabasa
18 goats: document of Kugani, his brother
4 sickles; 2 gur of barley flour; 1 sheep: document of Shakuge, gudu - priest
3 sickles: document of Ur - Shulpa'e, administrator
2 sickles: document of Ur- Asalluhe, foreman of the hired men
2 hoes; 1 sickle document of Ur - Ninmugga
1 mina of copper: document of Lugal - kuzu, son of Zanzani
1 hoe: document of Lugal - nilagare, brewer
1 sheep: document of Ur- Halmudu
2 sickles: document of Lugal - nilagare, ..
1 1/2 shekels of silver: document of the .....s of Lagash
1 gur, 220 sila of goats: document of Lu - zumu
15 minas of copper, document of Gilzan, smith
20 minas of copper: document of Sheshani, smith
1 goldsmith's ..... 8 minas; 10 minas of copper: document of Lugalemah, smith

Continuing check
Month: placing the bricks in the mould
Year: after the magnificent stele was erected.

First, the numerical system used allows the simple numerals such as 1, 2 etc to be either 1, 2 or 60, 120 and I in the lack of any summing up of figures of this type, there is often uncertainty, and our choice of 1 or 60 is always open to reconsideration. Secondly, the professions of the men named as on the documents suggest recipients of tools rather than makers of them in most cases, but not in the case of the smiths.
These two points illustrate the amount of work and study needed to gain all the information contained in this text. It is a mine of information, but in need of deep research.'

PROVENANCE:
Ex central London gallery; acquired 2000 from a UK dealer; acquired by them from an Oxford academic, catalogue number c/1178; examined by the late Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s; and accompanied by an original typed and signed three page scholarly note and translation by the Professor; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10165-166487.