ED IIIb metrology: texts from Lagaš

The following charts are based on the Lagaš royal inscriptions, and on the body of ED IIIb administrative texts mainly originating from the e₂-mi₂ / e₂-^dBa-U₂ Girsu archive (approximately 1700 tablets). For an overview of the metrological systems used in the ED IIIb texts from Lagaš, see notably Powell, RlA 7, Selz AWEL, pp. 21-22. Contemporary metrological systems in usage in Nippur or Umma show many differences with those from Lagaš.

Bibliography.

• Bauer, J. (1972). Altsumerische Wirtschaftstexte aus Lagash, Studia Pohl 9
• Powell, M. (1971). Sumerian Numeration and Metrology, Ph.D thesis
• Powell, M. (1987-1993) “Masse und Gewischte”, RlA 7, pp.
• Selz, G. (1989). Die altsumerischen Wirtschaftsurkunden der Eremitage zu Leningrad, FAOS 15/1

šu-si		ca. 1,6 cm
↓ ×10
šu-du3-a		ca. 0,16 m
↓ ×1 ½
šu-bad		ca. 0,25 m
↓ ×2
kuš3		ca. 0.5 m
↓ ×6
gi		ca. 3 m
↓ × 2
ninda-DU		ca. 6 m
↓ × 10
1 eš2		ca. 60 m

Note also the existence of the gi si-sa₂, mentioned in a few texts¹⁾.

Lagaš gur saĝ ĝal₂:

sila3		ca. 1 l
↓ ×6
ban2 3)		ca. 6 l
↓ ×6
bariga 4)		ca. 36 l
↓ ×4
gur (saĝ ĝal2)		ca. 144 l
↓ ×3600
guru7		ca. 5185 hl

Aside from the gur saĝ ĝal₂, the ED IIIb texts from Lagaš show the use of the 72 sila₃ gur “of 2 ul” (2 bariga).

sila3		ca. 1 l
↓ ×6
ban25)		ca. 6 l
↓ ×6
bariga		ca. 36 l
↓ ×2
gur		ca. 144 l

giĝ4		ca. 500 g
↓ ×60
ma-na		ca. 8,33 g

Fractions of ma-na:

, ,.

Fractions of giĝ₄: and igi 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 ĝal₂ f

Use of the sign NINDA₂+KUR₂+1 or 2, as noticed by Powell ⁶⁾ : VS 14, 175, respectively ⅓ and ⅔ of the giĝ₄.

and

Unlike later periods, amounts of ma-na superior to 60 in Lagaš are seemingly represented by the numeral 1(ĝeš₂), instead of gu₂, cf. VS 14, 183 (AWL 127). Rs. i. 1. 1(geš₂) 2(u) 6(aš) ma-na sig₂-mug siki u₂-ka

As evidenced by several documents, diverse standards seem to have existed.

Two weights belonging to the sanga administrator Du-du give an idea of the value of the ma-na:

1^st weight: ma-na, “regular” ma-na: 497.5 g

2^nd weight: ma-na sig₃-ba, “wool allocation”: 680.485 g ⁷⁾

According to the administrative documents, the ma-na unit is measured by means of the following weight stones:⁸⁾

• ma-na na₄ sig₂-ba, “weight of wool allocation”
• ma-na na₄ si-sa₂, “regular weight stone”
• ma-na na₄ ša₃-tug₂, “weight for clothes”
• ma-na na₄ Der^ki, “weight of the city of Dēr”

Page prepared by Camille Lecompte.