Keeping Records in Clay

Countless business and governmental accounts and inventories, as well as records of offerings to the gods, lists of workers and pay schedules, records of loans and payments, rental receipts and numerous other documents of administrative information are found on cuneiform tablets. These texts have provided scholars with a great deal of insight into Mesopotamian governmental structures and the economic development of the culture.

This tablet holds a detailed accounting of the daily offerings given by the king to the gods over the period of a month. Here is a typical day’s offering (column II, lines 48–56). 9 barley-fattened sheep, 1 sheep, 1 she-goat that has had offspring, for the regular offering of the king. 1 barley-fattened sheep for the regular offering to the place of the funerary offering for king Ur-Nammu. 1 suckling lamb for the god Enlil. 1 suckling lamb for the goddess Ninlil. 1 suckling lamb for the god Nanna, 1 suckling lamb for the goddess Innana. For the 22nd day of the month.
	List of Animals Dedicated to the Gods by the King Puzrish-Dagan, Sumer, modern Drehem, Iraq, Ur III Period (2112–2004 BCE). Earthenware. Edgar J. Banks Collection 1914.14.1366
The numbers and wages of groups of women mill workers and their supervisors are listed on this tablet. 18 female workers (at) 30 (measures of barley as wages) sent by Umani; 12 female workers (at) 30 (measures of barley) sent by Lu-Shara. These were received by Lu-Balasig. 23 female workers (at) 30 (measures) sent by Shara-zame; 12 female workers (at) 30 (measures) and 1 female worker (at) 10 (measures) sent by Lugal-Shara. These were received by Ur-Urbartab. These female workers are all mill-workers. The year after the city Kimash was destroyed (Shulgi’s 47th year, ca. 2047 BCE).
List of Women Mill Workers Umma, Sumer, modern Iraq, 47th year of King Shulgi, ca. 2047 BCE, Ur III Period (2112–2004 BCE). Earthenware. Edgar J. Banks Collection. 1913.14.0491
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