Business Sargonic

Selected Business Documents from Sargonic Mesopotamia
Author(s): Benjamin R. Foster

Source: Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol. 35, No. 3/4 (Jul. - Oct., 1983), pp. 147-175
Published by: The American Schools of Oriental Research
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3515965 .
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SELECTED BUSINESS DOCUMENTS

FROM SARGONICMESOPOTAMIA
BenjaminR. Foster
Yale University
In a survey of commercial activity in Sargonic Mesopotamia,' I
considered the nature, milieu, and contents of Sargonic business
documents, both "private"and "official."The purpose of this study is to
publish and edit documents that illustrateaspects of the "private"(I) and
"official"(II) enterprisediscussed there.2
I. PRIVATERECORDS
Privaterecordscan be divided into two categories.Some aredocuments

drawnup by competent scribesusing an establishedlegal formulary,often
witnessed (Nos. 1-4, Donbaz-Foster Telloh 155, No. 5?, Nos. 6-9, 14-17).
These were potentially "public"records in the sense that they belong to
known categories of documents. Others are roughly written, inexplicit
business records presumablywritten by the entrepreneurhimself for his
own private record-keeping (Nos. 10-13). Use of the first person (see
below, No. 13), proves the literacyof the record-keeper.A typology of the
texts dealt with here follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Slave sales
House sale
Orchardsale
Orchardrental
Loans
"Purchases"
Uncertain
Herding contract?
Nos. 1-4, Donbaz-Foster Telloh 155

No. 5
No. 6
No. 7
Nos. 8-11
Nos. 12-13
Nos. 14-16, L.3015 (unpub.)
No. 17
1. Iraq 39 (1977)31ff.
2. My thanksgo to the Rev. G. Garner,Director, and to the board of directorsof the
AustralianInstitute of Archaeology, Melbourne, for permission to publish texts in the
collectionthere(cited as "AIA"),andto David SearleandGeorgeAshleyforkindassistance.I
also thankWilliamW. Hallo, curator,for permissionto publishtabletsin the YaleBabylonian
Collection, and Veysel Donbaz, Fatma Yildsz,the directorof the IstanbulArchaeological
Museums,and the antiquitiesauthoritiesof the Republicof Turkey for permissionto study
tablets in the Lagash Collection. Many of the latterwere published in V. Donbaz and B.
Foster, SargonicTablets from Telloh in the IstanbulArchaeologicalMuseums,Occasional
Publicationsof the BabylonianFund, 5 (Philadelphia,1982);unpublishedtexts from that
collectionare cited hereby the siglum"L."I have profitedfromsuggestionsby D. O. Edzard,
though only I am responsible for the readings and interpretationsoffered here. Travel
expenses were provided by the AmericanResearchInstitutein Turkey and the National
Endowment for the Humanities.
147

Jcs 35/3-41983
R. FOSTER
BENJAMIN
148
1. Slave sales
No. 1 (AIA 4)
[
] rki*-babbargin
[nig-dim] mma-?um
[PN?] ABxAS URUki
[I]-ld
5. [
20.
] x-sipa
i shekels of silver,
[
purchase price of Malum,
(did) [PN?] the city elder
pay.
[
]-sipa
[dumu? A]d-da
[son of?] Adda
[in r]i-bi-tim
[im]-bur
[in the sq]uare]

received (it).
W]-li-dan?u gud
[mu]-qi-ip-su4
is his guarantor.
Ur-dNin-kar-ak
[d]ub-sar
Ur-Ninkarak
(was) the clerk.
[m]l-lu-lu
(witnesses)
[I]-li-dan of the "Ox"group
[m]Ur-nin
15.
[m]l-a-ra-bt
mx-gtr
[mSul-i-li-su
rl1? EDINki
20. [mxP]-i?i.?-um
[mx?]-x-um-xama-su
[mx?]-bi-[x?]-x
[m]x [
]
[m]x rDUI? [
[
25. [
[
] x.UD
]x
]x
] rmabl
]x
Remarks:
Line 9. For anothermember of this clan or grouping,see JCS28 (1976)

229 rev. i 2.
Line 10. In MAD 3 222 an unpublished slave sale using this term is
quoted.

BUSINESSDOCUMENTS FROMSARGONICMESOPOTAMIA
149
No. 2 (AIA 5)
5.
16 gin kd-b[abbar]
nig-sdm Me-me
Ilum-dan nar
16 shekels of si[lver],
purchaseprice of Meme,
did Ilum-dan the singer
im-bur
receive.
(witnesses)
[m']Ni-ta? simug
mAbzu-ta
mMa-ma-bu
'm]Si-um
rm]rTll-su-dan
No. 3 (AIA 18)

15 g[in kd-babba]r
nig-sdm DINGIR.GIY
md-lab4
15 shekels of silver,
purchaseprice of D.,
a boatman,
mKu-ru-ub-dAgi
Kurub-A~gi
5. [dumu U]r-Kwki
[
[
[
[
10. [
[son of U]r-Ke- ...
]-x-su
]-bum
] KAL
] x GIBIL
] LA?
]x[
]xx
im[
DINGIR-a-naABXAS
urul[ki]
NI.[
]
rdumul Su-m[u?
15. [
[
[
] SUL? x
] DINGIR
] x dumux
No. 4 (NBC 10290)

[10?+]1 gin kui-babbarigi 6-gAl [10?+]1%shekels of silver,
purchaseprice of Lugal-bad,
nig-rUml Lugal-bid-kam
mURU.IM.KI
t LUGAL.GI
U.
and Sarru-kin

BENJAMINR. FOSTER
150
5. [wu]ba-ti-a8
] x SI.A? nig?-ba lI-a
[
[ ga]l?-la dug
received.
mLUGALGI-pa-6 dub-sar
Sarru-kin-pa'ethe scribe,
U' son of U'ili,
10. mUMdumu 04-i-li
Mae the trading agent,
dam-gir
[m]Mat
A. the fisherman,
[m]Al-x-xku-ba
Lugal-KAthe shepherd,
sipa
mLugal-FKA'
mEn-ku-li
En-kuli,
15. hi-ki-inim-ma-bi-me
(were) the witnesses.
Remarks:
Line 6. The formularyhere is unusual,but is too broken to decipher.
For 1h,compare CopenhagenStudiesin Assyriology9 (1982)1:4:ma-nald&m,"the mina is paid."
Line 9. One wonders whether or not LUGAL.GI-pa-6is the same as
LUGAL.GI of line 4. "Sargon-is-manifest"is an unusual instance of a
Sumerian name based on a Sargonic royal name; cf. Hirsch, AfO 20
(1963) 1.
Donbaz-Foster Telloh 155 L.5772
[x+]5 shekels of [silver],
[x+]5? gi[n ki-babbar]
nig-PdmmLugal-ezen-rkaml purchaseprice of Lugal-ezen,
did Lugal-utumgal
Lugal-ulumgal
the ensi pay ...
[PA].TE.SI-ke4i-li-dh
5'. [
]-li
(rev.)
mx-tur
[ ]x
ml-ki-[Ag ]x
Remarks:
Although this document forms part of an official "palace"archive, I
assume that the ensi is purchasingthe slave as his own private property.
This would explain the presence of witnesses; cf. Koschaker,OLZ 39
(1936) 150f. For "slaves of the ensi" as private property of the ensi, see
Diakonoff, VDI 1948 No. 1:33.

151
2. House sale
No. 5 (AIA 11)
DUB?-[
P[N]
t I-bi-[
and Ibbi-[
dumu-rsul
im-bur-ra
5. qd-su-nu
7%gin ku-babbar
[nig]-'dm16-su?-ni?]
his son
received
from their hands (?)
7, shekels of silver
purchaseprice of the[ir?] house
Remarks:
Line 1. Since this is the flat side, I assumethatthe text beganhere;if so,
the formularyis unusualin that it did not begin with the thing sold.
Line 5. There seems to be no antecedentfor this pronoun,unlessthere
was a list of names on the other side of the tablet. Do we have here an
ablative accusative of the buyers (pl.) and dual of the sellers (line 7)?
3. Orchardsale
No. 6 (NBC 10194)
ia-na 5 ku-babbargin
,
of an orchardin
nig-Shmgikiri6Gir-gi4-luki-kam purchaseprice
Girgilu,
A-ki-gal-e Il-la i-na-li
5.
did A-kigal pay to Illa.
UA-bi-ta
Including:
6 kd gin UI
6 shekels (to) UI
6 11
6 (to) 11
6 Lui-dingir-ra
6 (to) Lui-dingirra
dumu Ur-hi
son of Ur-lu
[ ]gi?
(rev.)
5'.
rNam'-tar-rex+? DI-da?-ke4
Su ba-ti
1 udu 1 mt. x KI x x
Me-drimu-na-sum
Nam-tarre?the...
received.
1 sheep, 1 goat ...
did Me'uri give to him.
Ur-gidri sanga Nibruki

ki GIR.NITA-S9
U!
i-gin-na 1 udu-pi
Ur-gidri (was) sanga of Nippur.

When US went to the general
that I sheep did UB

152
BENJAMINR. FOSTER
U -e G'IR.NITA-ra
i-na-ni-ku4
10. 1 mOi-pi
edge: E?4-tdr-11-suan-na-ku4
bring before the general

there.
That 1 goat
was brought before(?) rstar-ilu.
Remarks:
This unusual text records the sale of an orchard, the price of which was
given to one person on behalf of himself and at least two others. The
imperial and local (?) administrators in Nippur each received an animal.
Was this the custom when land was sold in Nippur?
Line 2. This locality was in or near Nippur, RGTC 1 55.
Rev. line 5'. This official is, to my knowledge, otherwise unattested.
Near-by Isin was also administered by a sanga in the Sargonic period: BIN
8 164, 167; ArOr 35 (1967) 523; MAD 4 170. His relationship to the general
and ensi of Nippur is unknown.
Rev. line 6'. A general was appointed at Nippur by Sarkalisarri,
apparently in connection with rebuilding the lE-kur. This is known from
JAOS 88 (1968) 56: mu Sar-k-li-?ir-ri Pzizur-E?4-tdrG'IR.NITA 6-dEn-lil
dui-da bi-gub-ba-a mu ab-6s-a, "Year following the year SarkaliTharri
stationed Puzur-E-tar the general to build the Temple of Enlil"; differently
Goetze, JAOS 88 (1968) 56. One is thereby tempted to date this tablet to
this period.
Rev. line 11'. For the passive force of anna- in Sargonic Nippur texts,
see Westenholz Jena 8.
4.
Orchard rental
No. 7 (NBC 10191)
[ g]ilkiri6
[ ] 20 Frel rgurl
[ ] 3 [ ] UD.KA.BAR
[ ]3[ ] x-ra
[ ] gikiri63 GANA
Lugal-nita-zi
REC 318 uru-ke4
A-kalam-e
dumu Iir-ni-ra
10. nam-gi-i' mu-ak
(rev. uninscribed)
5.
[x sar of] orchard,

[x+?] 20 gur of barley,
x+3 bronze ...,

x+3...,
(lease for?) 3 iku of orchard

did Lugal-nitazi
the ... of the city
make for payment to
Akalame son of Urni.

153
Remarks:
Line 1. The relationship between the orchards in lines 1 and 5 is not
clear. I suggest that 3 iku was the size of the whole, and that the orchard in
line 1 was a fraction thereof that constituted part of the rent, along with the
commodities in lines 2-4. Fractions of land as parts of rent are known
elsewhere in Sargonic texts, for example, Copenhagen Studies in
Assyriology 9 (1982) 1:lff.: 7140 (sar) GANA, nig-gir-bi, 765 (sar), "7140sar
of agricultural land, its 'commission': 765 sar."
Line 7. For this office, see Renger, ZA 59 (1969) 129ff.; RiC 318 uru
seems to be otherwise unattested.
5.
Loans
No. 8 (YBC 7090)
2.2.0.0 ?e gur
Ama-LUL.GU
PA.URU
2.2.0.0 'e gur Ma-ma
5. dam Li-zi-da
2.0.0.0 "e gur Nin-ma'-e
dam Lugal-uru
1.2.0.0 gur E-ki-dg
1.2.0.0 'e gur
10. rLugall-mu-da-dil
1.2.0.0 'e gur dEn-ki-ur
2.2.0.0 we gur Uru-gi7
(rev.)
dumu Ur-ur KA.EN.DA-ka
1.0.0.0 we gur Ur-ur
15.
z-g-gir-gl
1.0.0.0 we gur Nin.nin
dumu A-gd-uru-na
0.2.0.0 'e Nig-6 sagi
0.2.0.0 e IJ-id-edin-na
f
20.
wu-nigin 17 we gur-sag-g6l
se Nin-inim-gi-na-ka-kam
edge: PAP.PAP urs- i-ne-sum
Remarks:
This text records eleven loans of barley belonging to a certain Nininimgina, totalling 17 gur, made on his behalf by a certain PAP.PAP. At
least two of the debtors are women. The subscription reads: "It is barley of
Nin-inimgina. P. gave it to them at interest."
Line 13. The meaning of KA.EN.DA (a title?) is unknown to me.
Line 15. z1-gir-gAl appears to be a title or designation, "beside the
knife," but I know of no parallel.

154
BENJAMINR. FOSTER
No. 9 (NBC 10257)

(obv. illegible)
(rev. iii)
(space)
?u-niginle mu nu-gil-la
kl%-bi
1 kuima-na 4 gin-kam
su-nigin 84.1.0.0Se gur-sag
?e-kam
KA-zi-da-ke4
5'. Ur-sag-da
an-da-tuku
Total barley for a year of dearth,

its silver being 1 mina,
total: 84.1.0.0 gur sag of barley
in barley
Ur-sag owes K.
Remarks:
Line1'. For mu-nu-gAl,compareBIN 8 43, 170,175,and the remarksof
Edzard, ZA 56 (1964) 277.
No. 10 (NBC 10239)
(same scribe as no. 11)
3 e gur
Ur-TAKA-kam
3.0.0.0 Il-su
3.2.0.0 Ur-dEn-lil
5. 1.0.0.0 Amar-ezen
3 gur of barley
of Ur-K.,
3 of IIu
3 of Ur-Enlil,
1 of Amar-ezen,
Ur-Isin(IN)ki
did Ur-Isin receive.
u4 e 0.3.0.0 al-Ag
At that time barley was measured

for 3 bariga
(to the shekel of silver).
(rev.)
?u ba-ti
No. 11 (NBC 10237)
(same scribe as no. 10)
4,1?ki gin
10 'e gur
Lugal-gi~ u ba-ti
11??e gur
5.
Ur-lugal
Sel-ni
gu ba-ti
(reverse uninscribed)
43? shekels of silver,

10 gur of barley,
did Lugal-gihreceive;
11 gur of barley
did Ur-lugal
his brother
receive.

155
6. "Purchases"
This refers to texts in which one commodity is exchanged for another
with or without the price being converted into silver.
No. 12 (NBC 10286a)
]x
3% 2 ?a-na kuikii-[kam]
1
15 kuigin [
]
5 kdigin khi [e-kam]
5'. 3 kd gin khiudu-k[am]
(reverse destroyed)
6 igi x+3 gAl

E?4-tdr-NI.SU
2.1.0.0 Ie gur 3 ki rginl-kam
Ur-DINGIR
10'. i-nun kd 1 gin
(Capital):
18 shekels of silver in silver
15 shekels of silver in [
]
5 shekels of silver in b[arley]
5'. 3 shekels of silver in sheep.
(Loans?):
6 '/3 (shekels) (to) Eltar-N.
2.1.0.0 gur of barley (at) 3 shekels of silver (to) Ur-DINGIR.

(Purchase?):
10'. Butterfat:price 1 shekel.
Remarks:
This appearsto be a commercialrecord consistingof a balance on hand
(lines 1'-5'), two loans, and a purchase. Note that the exchange rate of
barley to silver in line 8' is the same as that of no. 10 (%to 1).
No. 13 (NBC 10284)
13 zd-lum (gur)
u4-ba2 (gur) al-salo
mu rgettin1l-d6
12 [ gur u4]-ba1 (gur) 14
2 (bariga) al-[salo]
13 gur of dates:
At that time 2 gur were purchased
(for 1 shekel of silver).
For wine he poured (it) (=made
wine with the dates?)
12 (gur of dates): At that time %
gur was [purchased]
(for 1 shekel of silver)...

BENJAMINR. FOSTER
156
(rev.)
Dada [
Da-da?[ ]
10 kd-gin I-bar-pi
ma-sum
0.1.2.0 ke gur RA.R[A?] x
5'. ma-sum zi-[lum (x)]
nig sag-ba-4?ba-[ ]
].
10 shekels of silver (of?) E?.

he gave to me.
0.1.2.0 gur of barley
he gave to me.
... dates for the sab-ga-(payment)
were[
].
Remarks:
Rev. line 3'. For other texts in the first person, see Gelb OAIC 21, 35;
CT 50 72; MDP 14 79; BIN 8 135.
Rev. 6'. For sag-ba as a kind of payment in dates, perhaps a tax,
compare possibly JANES 12 (1980) 38 ii 4 and NSG 3 154 "sag 3."
7. Uncertain
L. 3015 (unpub.)
mLugal-gu7
dam-gir
Me-sAg
matkim
(reverse uninscribed)
Remarks:
I suggest that this curiouslittle text (2.9 X 3.3 cm.) is a sort of "letterof
introduction" to the great household for the trading agent named.
Unfortunatelythe agent's name does not occur elsewhere in the archive,
and the name Me-sAgis too common to identify precisely. He may be the
Sargonicofficial of thatname, contemporarywith the ensi Lugal-ulumgal
of Lagash,who held a large estate nearLagashand Umma. For discussion
of Me-sag,see Foster, OrNS48 (1979)161n. 56 andCopenhagenStudiesin
Assyriology9 (1982)52ff.; M. Lambert,RSO49 (1975)159ff.;S. J. Bridges,
"TheMesagArchive:A Study of SargonicSociety and Economy"(unpub.
Ph.D. diss., Yale University, 1981).
No. 14 (AIA 15)
3 gin ki-babbar
mu-tim &.d[ ]
1 gin E-a-da[n]
3 shekels of silver:
Delivery (to) the temple of [ ];
1 shekel (to) Ea-dan,

1 gin 3 (bdn) d 1 sila i [ ]

NA.UU.[ ]
5. 1 gin IRIN.[ D]UR?-be-li
ma?-bi?-ir?x-LUM [ ] RU.x
(rev.)
[ ]x-ba
[ ] ril-di-in
157
1 shekel (and?) 3 ban (of grain?)

"hire"(of?) 1 sila [ ],
1 shekel (to) E.[ ],
[ ] did he give.
1 gur 1 udu
1 gur (of grain?), 1 sheep,
10. I-ar-um ?u A.LA
(to)? ITarum-f the A.-group:
6
purchase price: 6 shekels of silver;
fim gin kui-babbar
(space)
Total 14 (-) shekels,
Su-nigin14 gin x li y
ma-na-[tur]
25 grainsof silver
? kil-babbar
r251Pe
Da-[ ]
P[N]?
Remarks:
Line 2. For the term mu-tdmused of commercialdeliveries to a great
household, compare no. 18 below.
Line 4. This line is incomprehensibleto me.
No. 15 (AIA 20)
] 2 udu
[ da]m.gir
ugula
[Pdzur]-E_4-tdr
2 gin nu-KA6
5. Pd-lu-lu
Pd-pi dumu IGI.E? GA[L?]
3 gin nu-KA6
ugula bar
Pitzur-E_4-tdr
dSin-ba-ni
10. 1 gin 1 udu
nu-KA6
x]2 sheep
[ tr]ading agent
[Puzur?]-Ektar(was?) supervisor
(of the transaction?)
2 shekels (to) the ... of the
household
(Authority?)Pululu (subordinate
to)
Pupu son of I.
3 shekels (to) the ... of the
household
Another Puzur-Etar (was?)
supervisor
(of the transaction?)
(Authority?)Sin-bani
1 shekel, 1 sheep
(to) the..,. of the household.

BENJAMINR. FOSTER
158
Remarks:
Line 4. For nu-KA,see Edzard, ZA 55 (1962) 108. It appears to be a
title.
No. 16 (AIA 16)
[x g]in [kui-babbar]
[
5.
[ s]hekels of [silver]
[
ABXASuruki
1 gin kui-babbar
the city elder

[1?] shekel of silver
I-li-dan
Ili-dan
[ ] gin kui-babbar
[1?] shekel of silver
DINGIR-la-ba
1 gin kd-babbar
DINGIR-laba
1 shekel of silver
Ur-Kel
(man of) I.
(rev.)
Ur-K6,ki
10. ?u
I.BA-LUGAL
8. Herding contract?
No. 17 (AIA 10)
5.
1 gud
DINGIR-ma-li-ik
?u GAL.SUKKAL
2 gud
A-bu-bu
16 gi4-a
Be-li-i0-td-[kd]l
Ni S.LU
1 ox
(belonging to) D.,
man of the high minister;
2 oxen
(belonging to) Ahuhu
i-[bu]-uz
0-U
d-ru-?um
take.
IGI Su-,a-ri-im
(witnesses).
(did) the messenger of Belis-takal

of the E.-group
(rev.)
10.
15.
U'u brought (them) to him.
IGI Su-mu-lum
IGI GTIR
IGIT-li-EN.NU
IGI l-mud-n-a
edge:
IGIlTR-su-ni

BUSINESSDOCUMENTS FROM SARGONICMESOPOTAMIA
159
Remarks:
Line6. Forli-gi4, "senda messenger,"see Falkenstein,ZA49 (1950)66.
Line 9. Since no price is mentioned, abazu may mean simply "take
possessionof." CompareCT 50 72:4,where a slave is purchasedbut not yet
taken in possession (ti-la a-bu-uz).
II. OFFICIALRECORDS
This term refers to documents from the archivesof "greathouseholds"

(6-gal = temple or palace) thatwere commercialtransactionsto which the
household was a party or involved goods that belonged to the great
household. The choice of materialis very large, but the examples given
below have points of particularinterest.
1. Purchaseof commodities
2. Delivery of foreign goods
by trading agent
3. Loans
4. Sale
5. Uncertain
ITT 2 4647;Donbaz-Foster Telloh

54 (L.1388)
No. 19
HSS 10 72, 107
L.5795 (unpub.)
Donbaz-FosterTelloh 6 (L.1095)
1. Purchaseof commodities
ITT 2 4647
%-4al&igi 3-ga[1gin]
ki.gi 1 gin [ki-babbar]
8-ta salo-a
kil-babbar-bi2%ma-na 7 gin
igi 3-gdl
5. 6-gal-M8
mu-tim
4 gin kd
2%-Aa
ki ki-duru5TAKA-Am
L-ba ga-ra8-da
1-da-gIl
19%shekels,
of gold, 1 shekel
being brought for 8 shekels
of silver,
its silver, 157%shekels,
was brought to the Great
Household.
silver rendered (as rent) on
agriculturalland,
is in the custody of
Lu-ba the purchasingagent.

BENJAMINR. FOSTER
160
Remarks:
Line 7. I take TAKA to mean "give, pay" (of rent), and compare TAKA
(pe?6?) "divide the harvest (with a lessee)," as is known from Gasur texts
(HSS 10 38 iv 2, etc.); see Jacobsen, PAPS 107 (1963) 475 n. 5; Powell, ZA 68
(1978) 181-91 ("make an official present of something").
This record charges in a quantity of silver acquired from the sale of gold
at the rate of 1:8. The second part of the record charges out silver acquired
as rent on farmland to a purchasing agent, presumably to acquire
commodities needed by the Great Household.
Donbaz-Foster Telloh 54 (L.1388)
10 gin k i-babbar
Mdm(NINDAxSE) UD.KA.
BAR-kam
IA11%
gin an-na
,-'a
L6-dNanRe
5.
3 gin kfi
kui an-na-a-kam
purchase price of bronze;

18,' shekels of tin
(to) Lu-Nan'e.
being silver of (=for) tin,
[IY]r-ra-an
ma-na 6 gin UD.KA.BAR
4 gin kui
(to) Urran.
36 shekels of bronze,
BAR-kam
1 gin an-na
Lugal-ezen
being the purchase price of bronze,

(and?) 1 shekel of tin,
(to) Lugal-ezen.
(rev.)
3
10. Mam(NINDAxSE) UD.KA.
Remarks:
This text has prosopographical affinities with other texts from Girsu
treating of metal, for example:
a. RTC 101 ("Gr-ra-an,Lugal-ezen): a list of quantities of silver called ko
zabar uru-ta 6-a, "silver (for) bronze, gone out of the city."
b. ITT 5 9277
Lugal-ezen): a list of silver amounts
(Lti-dNante?,
subscribed sag kii.gi- mu-tim, "delivered instead of gold."
c. Donbaz-Foster Telloh 170 (L.5901) (Li6-dNanfe), a distribution of
silver amounts to a chief cantor (gala-mab), a fowler (muwen-dui), a
and the household
carpenter (nagar), a boatman
([m,-l]ab4-gal),
supervisor ([n]u-banda 6-gal).
d. ITT 2 5763 (transliteration only, tablet now destroyed): delivery of
gold from the sanga of Nin-dar-a.

161
e. Donbaz-FosterTelloh 69 (L.2878) (Or-ra-an):delivery of gold from

the sanga of Nin-dar-a.
f. ITT 2 4438 ([L]ugal-ezen):delivery and removal of bronze and tin.
The great household did a lively business in metal, buying (RTC 101,
abroad; Donbaz-Foster Telloh 54 [L.1388]), receiving (as tax?, DonbazFoster Telloh 69 [L.2878]),selling (? Donbaz-FosterTelloh 170 [L.5901]?).
One is stronglytempted to equate Or-ra-anof thistext serieswith the damgArof the same name known in ITT 1 1431.
2. Delivery of foreign goods by a trading agent
No. 18 (YBC 16676)
4 long NIM-stones,
4 ZA.NIM gid-da
ki-ld-bi3 gin
weighing 3 shekels;
340 small carnelians,
3601i 20 ZA.GUL-tur
10
gin
weighing 10 shekels;
ki-1d-bi
(rev.)
2 sheep, 1 goat,
5. 2 udu 1 ma6
(from) Lugal-itida
Lugal-iti-da
the trading agent, son of Me'a.
dam-gArdumu Me-a
(space)
Delivery.
mu-tdm
Remarks:
Line 1. I cannot document NIM as a type of stone. Possiblythese were
fly-shaped stone ornaments,for references to which see CAD Z 155b.
Line 2. For sheep and goats in commerce, see Iraq 39 (1977) 36.
3. Loans
HSS 10 72
col. i
a.
[x+].2.0.0 se gur
[i]?-do
b.
[S]I.A-um
rGAL1. KU
5. 30 8i2 -e gur
is-dd
c.
Bala-ga
20 Se gur
is-dk

BENJAMINR. FOSTER
162
10. 9-mrr-llum
dumu Su-Da-da
13.0.0.01A0.1.0.0 Se gur
d.
is-d
rIrl-lum
e. 15. [x+]10.0.0.0 14 1.1.0.0 te gur
[Pit-z]u-zu
col. ii
Su-GA-[tum ]
4 te g[ur]
f.
Pdzur-lu-lu
(space)
g. tu-nigin 156 te gur
5. in 0.0.3.0lugal
15 te gur
i?-d&A-bu-[DOG?]
engar Zu-zu
33 te gur
i.
10. i0-dd
I-kd-ntim
tabra
dumu 6nsi
h.
j.
20 te gur
4 ziz gur
col. iii
i?-d6
Ib-ni-Ilum
(space)
k.
[tu]-nigin 60'+2 gur
[tu]-nigin 3 ziz gur
5. [i]n 0.0.3.0 dingir
[te] gis-ra-a
[enga]r Zu-zu
[m]u-a-kam
(space)
156 'e gur
1.
10. DINGIR-a-zu
m. 20 'e gur
n.
Ti-ri-TAR
7.2.3.0 Se gur

163
iv
o.
]-zu
]-zu
[ ].2.3.0 le gur
[ ]x.NI.NI
5. [d]am-gir
(space)
[?u]-nigin(3X60)+10+6 e gur
p.
in 1 mu
si-a-ti
10. [q]dm1 kui-babbargin
ke 1.2.3.0 gur
(space)
q.
[ke?]uZu-zu
Entry 1 (=i 1-16, ii 1-5)

(a) x+2 bariga of barley with Watrumthe GAL.OKU(-official).
(b) 28 gur of barley with Balaga.
(c) 20 gur of barley with Jsma-Ilumson of Su-Dada.
(d) 124/5gur of barley with IrMum.
(e) x+84/5gur of barley with [Pu]zuzu(subordinateof) Su-GA[tum].
(f) 4 gur of barley with Puzur-Lulu.
(g) Total: 156 gur of barley at 3 ban (to the gur), king's(interest).
Entry 2 (=ii 6-15, iii 1-8)
(h) 15 gur of barley with Abu-[tib?], cultivator:Zuzu.
(i) 33 gur of barley with Ikunumthe major domo, son of the ensi.
(j) 20 gur of barley, 4 gur of emmer, with Ibni-Ilum.
(k) Total: 62' gu[r] of barley,
Total: 3 gur of emmer,
at 3 ban (to the gur), God's (interest).
Threshed barley, cultivator:Zuzu.
Of the currentyear.
3
Entry (=iii 9-13, iv 1-7)
(1) 156 gur of barley (to) D.
(m)20 gur of barley (to) T.
(n) 7.2.3.0 barley (to) PNI [son of?] PN2.
(o) x+2.3.0 gur of barley (to) PN, trading agent.
Total: 196 gur of barley,
Out-go.
Entry 4 (=iv 6-12)
In that year the purchase price of 1 shekel of silver (in) barley (was)
1.2.3.0. [Barley?] of Zuzu.

164
BENJAMINR. FOSTER
Remarks:
Entry 1 consistsof loans of grainat 33/%interest(?),made to individuals
on behalf of the crown.
Entry2 consistsof loans of grainat 331%interest,made to individualson
behalf of a temple. Note that the total is an increaseof one-thirdover the
items, implying that the interest was already reckoned in the total.
Entries 1 and 2 are thereby positive amountsfrom a bookkeeping point
of view, and refer to commercial transactionswith threshedgrainof one
year, under the charge of a cultivator,Zuzu, who was in a position to lend
both crown and temple grain.
Entry 3 consists of disbursements, reckoned as "out-go," negative
amounts from a bookkeeping point of view; one of these is to a trading
agent.
Entry 4: Date and rate of exchange.
HSS 10 107
4 gur in 0.0.4.0 (sila)
5.1.4.0 'e gur
i-dd Zu-zu
13[+2] -e gur
5. su-nigin 20.1.4.0ke gur
Da-ti im-bur
1 gur PT.ZUR-6-gal
1 gur SI.A-um
(rev.)
3 gur I-ri-llum
10. 2.2.0.0 gur I-nin-a-na-ak
20 1A1 'e gur
a-na'Am ab
Ilum-dan
im-bur
Entry 1
Four gur at 4 ban (to the gur):
5.1.4.0 gur of barley
with Zuzu.
r151 gur of barley,
Total: 20.1.4.0 gur of barley
did Dati receive.

165
Entry 2
1 gur (to) Puzur-ekalli,
1 gur (to) Watrum,
3 gur (to) Iri-Ilum,
2.2.0.0 gur (to) Ininanak,
19 gur to purchase pig(s),
did Ilum-danreceive.
Remarks:
The format of this text is comparable to that of the preceding.
Entry1: A loan at 333%,againwith the interestcounted in the total,anda
second quantity,received by Dati (=positive amount?).
Entry 2: Expenditures(=negative amount).
4. Sale
L.5795 (unpub.)
] Ur-[ ]
mDa-dasipa tiz
ugula Ur-dNin-dar
mLugal-ki-4,r-ra
5'. ugula
Lugal-Ti-ra-0i-46
[PN]
Dada the goatherd
foreman: Ur-Nindar
Lugal-ki*arra
foreman: Lugal-Tirarse
(rev.)
Lugal-nig-zudam-gar
(did) Lugal-nigzuthe
ba-salo
trading agent purchase.
(space)
Total: 11 male workers
su-nigin 11 guru?
3
Total: 3 [
]
[
]
rsu-niginl
Remarks:
This appears to be a record of a trading agent either paying the great
household for male workers or selling them. Since, it is generallyagreed,3
male workers could not be sold as chattel slaves, it may be suggested that
the trading agent was buying the use of these men for some unofficial
purpose. Since tradingagents were not regularmembersof the household
staff,4they had to contractfor householdlabor-or at least so thistextmay
be interpreted.
3. Diakonoff in Harmattaand Komor6czy (eds.), Wirtschaftund Gesellschaftim alten

Vorderasien(Budapest,1976)p. 58.
4. Gelb, Rocz.Or.41 (1980)34.

BENJAMINR. FOSTER
166
5. Uncertain
Donbaz-Foster Telloh 6 (L.1095)
] e gu[r ]
[ AN]SE.NITA.LI[BIR ]
Ki-tu?-nidub-sa[r ]
d Tir-[k-
5'. 12 ma-na [
20 ma-na rsigl
Lugal-burrIGI1.DUB
13 e gur
KA.TARdub-sar
10' rini 1 m[u ]
x+4 gin igi r41-g[dl ]
(rev.)
23.2.3.0ke gur
Ki-tu?-nidub-sar
dtTir-kui
in 2 mu
(space)
5'. Su-nigin143.2.3.0'e gur
A-ga-d6ki
?u-nigin%-La
1Iigi 4-gil
kui-babbar
?u-nigin12 ma-na urudu
su-nigin 20 ma-na sig
x x e-za-am-d[
]
10'. [Laga]tki
[ it]-ba-al
Remarks:
Rev. line 11'. Compare, for example, BIN 8 139.
This text is highly unusualwithin the Girsuarchivesin thatit is writtenin
Akkadian(cf. obv. 10',rev. 4'). Whileit deals with the takingaway of grain,
silver, copper, and wool, I do not understandits significance.
III. CONCLUSIONS
These documents demonstrate first that commerce was not a monopoly

in Sargonic Mesopotamia, but was engaged in by private individuals
working on their own behalf, by households, and by great state institutions.

167
In one mode, commerce was buying, selling, leasing, and lending, all with
a view to accumulationof wealth. The recordsdemonstratethatsilverand
other precious materialswere to be found in privatepossessionand were
used in privatecommerce. In anothermode, commercewas acquisitionof
raw materials such as metal or stone, and is thus a crucial, if little
understood,mechanismin internationaltrade. Of particularinterestis that
the greathouseholdsof the state,such as the city ruler'shouseholdat Girsu,
when they needed materialssuch as metal or stone, purchased them for
cash-cash obtained, among other ways, by extensive land leasing.
Purchasedfrom whom? The recordsdo not say. The two textsfromGasur
(HSS 10 72, 107) illustratea business practice not so clearly attested in
SargonicSumer:the official householdas money lender. This is attestedin
other Sargonic archives from the north and from Babylonianarchivesof
later periods, and may well prove, upon furtherresearch,to be a regional
peculiarity.5At the presenttime, despite the greatinterestin these subjects,
it is remarkablehow little broad,historicalinformationthe textsyield.6Yet
important progress is being made, both in correcting older, oversimplified explanations of Mesopotamiancommerce and trade, and in
evaluatingthe real significance of the evidence that is now to hand.
CONCORDANCEOF TEXTS PUBLISHEDHERE
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
No. 7
No. 8
No. 9
AIA 4
AIA 5
AIA 18
NBC 10290
AIA 11
NBC 10194
NBC 10191
YBC 7090
NBC 10257
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
NBC 10239
NBC 10237
NBC 10286a
NBC 10284
AIA 15
AIA 20
AIA 16
AIA 10
YBC 16676
OTHER TEXTS TREATED
HSS 10 72, 107

ITT 2 4647
L.3015, L.5795,all unpublished

Donbaz-Foster Telloh 6, 54, 155
5. For example, Harris,JCS 9 (1955)37ff.

6. Yoffee, MANE 2/2 (1981), with bibliography.

BENJAMINR. FOSTER
168
No. 1
obv.
rev.
No. 2
obv.
omtD
rev.
rest destroyed
'?
' ,

No. 3
obv.
rev.
No.4
obv.
rev.

169
BENJAMINR. FOSTER
170
No. 5
obv.?
rev.? destroyed
No. 6
obv.
rev.
left edge

No. 7
obv.
r-T-TT-1
I
"LED
reverse uninscribed
No. 8
obv.
ID
rev.
13~t
7 ~
8~~ft
IF
V
I~
PAW~~e=
LDma~F~~~~ffIB
ionpCd
left edge
'

171
BENJAMINR. FOSTER
172
No. 9
(obverse illegible)
rev.
No. 10
obv.
rev.
.O-Mm"
t
"

No. 12
obv.
11
obv.
reverse
173
uninscribed
AI*A>reversedestroyed
mu
No. 13
obv.
SBf~-P~
wo
rev.
rao
a=
I'izr

Am..
174
BENJAMINR. FOSTER
No. 14
rev.
obv.
No. 15
obv.
reverse uninscribed

BUSINESSDOCUMENTSFROMSARGONICMESOPOTAMIA
No. 16
obv.
rev.
No. 17
obv.
rev.
No. 18
obv.
rev.
~CD
~?~_rev.
/7-f

175

Business Sargonic

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Business Sargonic

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Selected Business Documents from Sargonic Mesopotamia

Author(s): Benjamin R. Foster

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SELECTED BUSINESS DOCUMENTS

Privaterecordscan be divided into two categories.Some aredocuments

Nos. 1-4, Donbaz-Foster Telloh 155

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[son of?] Adda

[in the sq]uare]

[I]-li-dan of the "Ox"group

Line 9. For anothermember of this clan or grouping,see JCS28 (1976)

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No. 3 (AIA 18)

[son of U]r-Ke- ...

No. 4 (NBC 10290)

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did A-kigal pay to Illa.

Ur-gidri sanga Nibruki

Ur-gidri (was) sanga of Nippur.

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bring before the general

[x sar of] orchard,

x+3 bronze ...,

(lease for?) 3 iku of orchard

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No. 9 (NBC 10257)

Total barley for a year of dearth,

did Ur-Isin receive.

At that time barley was measured

43? shekels of silver,

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6 igi x+3 gAl

2.1.0.0 gur of barley (at) 3 shekels of silver (to) Ur-DINGIR.

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10 shekels of silver (of?) E?.

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1 gin 3 (bdn) d 1 sila i [ ]

1 shekel (and?) 3 ban (of grain?)

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the city elder

[1?] shekel of silver

No. 17 (AIA 10)

(did) the messenger of Belis-takal

U'u brought (them) to him.

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BUSINESSDOCUMENTS FROM SARGONICMESOPOTAMIA

This term refers to documents from the archivesof "greathouseholds"

ITT 2 4647;Donbaz-Foster Telloh

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purchase price of bronze;

being the purchase price of bronze,

10. Mam(NINDAxSE) UD.KA.

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BUSINESSDOCUMENTS FROM SARGONICMESOPOTAMIA

e. Donbaz-FosterTelloh 69 (L.2878) (Or-ra-an):delivery of gold from

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Entry 1 (=i 1-16, ii 1-5)

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BUSINESSDOCUMENTS FROM SARGONICMESOPOTAMIA

3. Diakonoff in Harmattaand Komor6czy (eds.), Wirtschaftund Gesellschaftim alten