DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18386402
title: Selected Multiply Attested Male Citizens in Ur III Umma Texts

description: Selected Multiply Attested Male Citizens in Ur III Umma Texts

Author: Andrew PottorfDate of Release: January 27, 2026License: CC BY 4.0

 

Recommended Citation

APA Format:

Pottorf, A. (2026). Selected Multiply Attested Male Citizens in Ur III Umma Texts [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18386403

Chicago Format:

Pottorf, Andrew. “Selected Multiply Attested Male Citizens in Ur III Umma Texts.” Zenodo, January 27, 2026. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18386403.

If you use or refer to this dataset, please cite it as above and, when appropriate, also cite Pottorf 2022, 281–322.

 

Abstract / Description

This dataset compiles quantitative and contextual data on selected multiply attested male citizens in Ur III administrative texts. The data were assembled from all relevant Umma texts accessible in BDTNS up to 2023. Each entry includes references to text editions, transliterations, and citations following BDTNS conventions, with occasional simplification for clarity. Entries record the any combination of the identifications, conscription rates and related details, occupations, and barley or subsistence-land allotments of male citizens. These data permit the reconstruction of several important patterns for male citizens during the Third Dynasty of Ur.

 

Scope and Methodology

●      Corpus Coverage: All known Ur III Umma texts with identifiable male citizens that provide any combination of their identifications, conscription rates and related details, occupations, and barley or subsistence-land allotments searchable in BDTNS up to 2023.

●      Transliteration Standards: BDTNS, except where otherwise indicated. All Sumerian words are underlined.

●      Chronology and Dating: Dates formatted per Pottorf 2022, 14–15.

●      Assumptions: Male citizens can be identified by juxtaposition to male UN-il2.

●      Limitations: Some conscription periods are not clearly defined. 

●      Uncertainties: Entries marked (?) when interpretation or restoration is uncertain; see dataset comments.

Future versions will include more individuals.

 

Data Format

●      File Type: CSV (UTF-8, tabular)

●      Primary Fields: PIN, Name(s), Text, BDTNS, CDLI, Line(s), Order, Order Line(s), Observation No. 1, Employment Notation(s), Employment Notation(s) Line(s), Observation No. 2, Conscription Duration, Conscription Dates, Conscription Line(s), Occupation(s) (Sumerian), Occupation(s) (English), Occupation(s) Line(s), Barley Allotment or Subsistence Land (Sumerian), Barley Allotment or Subsistence Land (English), Barley Allotment or Subsistence Land Line(s), Observation No. 3, Comment(s).

●      Source Metadata: CDLI and BDTNS identifiers provided where available.

 

Acknowledgements

I thank Adam Anderson for guidance on FAIR-compliant data publication and repository best practices. I am grateful to the British Museum and Yale Babylonian Collection for permission to study and collate the texts cited below.

 

 Introduction

This table includes data regarding the identifications, conscription rates and related details, occupations, and barley or subsistence-land allotments of male citizens in Ur III Umma texts searched up to 2023. All citations, dates, proveniences, and transliterations follow BDTNS (citations are sometimes simplified), unless otherwise stated, and all Sumerian is underlined. Abbreviations follow CDLI. For a recent study on these citizens as a social status, also called order, see Pottorf 2025b. For details regarding notations and allotments, see Pottorf 2022, 177, 179–86, and 192–94, but note that some updates are offered in Pottorf forthcoming a. Barley from allotments or subsistence land is measured in sila3 (ca. 1 liter), and subsistence-land sizes are measured in iku (ca. 0.35 hectares). A few dozen of the individuals tabulated here have been previously tabulated with regard to similar details in Koslova 2008. The connection between individuals in AnOr 1 85 and BPOA 2 2557 is noted in Ozaki and Sigrist 2006, 209. The matching of UNdaga (PIN 281) here is observed in Englund 2003, 5–6. Comments or questions can be sent to apottorf21@gmail.com.

The citizens tabulated here are included because they provide evidence for any combination of three observations. Observation No. 1 is that a citizen without an explicit identification juxtaposed to an explicit UN-il2 in one text could be an explicit citizen in another text. Thus, in the first text, their citizenship is inferred from their juxtaposition. Observation No. 2 is that an individual could have various combinations of the notations ½, 1, ½c, and AŠc across multiple texts. Observation No. 3 is that an individual receiving an unspecified amount of subsistence land (gan2 PN) in one text could have a specified amount in another text (|field| means a field description lost to damage). The utilized texts are given below in an approximately chronological and then alphabetical orders. Note that some dates are justified with various explanations but that these assertions may be subject to change.

SAT 2 77 (Š 33/vi/-).

BM 106132 (Š 42/xii/-). The date is based on Ea-lubi, Ku-Šara, Lugal-gigire, and Iminani-zi (BM 106132 obv. ii 5–6, rev. ii 4–5; CUSAS 39 127 obv. iii 2'–3'; Torino 2 706 A rev. iii' 4'). Note that E2 should E2-a-lu2-bi in BM 106132 obv. ii 5. This unusually abbreviated name is confirmed by a visit to the British Museum.

NATN 25 (Š 43*/-/-).

Nebraska 37 (Š 43/-/-).

MVN 21 199 (Š 47/xiii*/-).

Nisaba 23 2 (Š 47/-/-).

Nisaba 23 46 (Š 48/-/-).

SNAT 311 (AS 1/viii*/-).

BPOA 6 897 (AS 1/-/-).

Nik. 2 236 (AS 1/-/-).

CDLI P406944 (AS 2/vii/-).

SNAT 332 (AS 2/vii/-).

Nisaba 34 1186 (AS 2/xi*/-).

MVN 16 956 (AS 2/-/-).

Nisaba 34 240 (AS 2/-/-).

OrSP 47-49 324 (AS 2/-/-).

SNAT 325 (AS 2/-/-).

YOS 4 150 (AS 2/-/-).

CUSAS 39 131 (AS 3/v/-).

CUSAS 39 132 (AS 3/v/-).

Nisaba 34 1197 (AS 3/v*/-).

Organisation administrative, Diss., T. 7, Talon-Vanderroost 2, 217 (AS 3/v/-).

BPOA 6 1385 (AS 3/vii*/-).

MVN 18 545 (AS 3/viii/-).

Princeton 1 367 (AS 3/viii*/-).

BIN 5 272 (AS 3/xii*/-).

TCL 5 5674 (AS 3/xii*/-).

CUSAS 39 128 (AS 3/-/-).

Santag 6 384 ([-]/[-]/[-]). The date is around AS 3 based on Lugal-magure, Lugal-ezem, Šara-bazige, and Ir-duga (CUSAS 39 134 rev. i 3, 5, 7, 9; Santag 6 384 rev. iii 4'–5', 8'–9').

Santag 7 32 ([-]/[-]/[-]). The date to around AS 3 based on Šara-izu, Abba-gena, and Ur-Suen (CUSAS 39 128 obv. ii 37, iii 5–6; Santag 7 32 obv. ii' 2', 10'–11').

MVN 5 27 (AS 4*/i*/-).

Princeton 1 388 (AS 4/iv*/28*).

CDLI P421274 (AS 4/vii/-).

JCS 28, 219 37 (AS 4/viii*/-).

SAT 2 829 (AS 4/ix*/-).

AnOr 1 85 (AS 5*/xii*/-). For the date, see Koslova 2008, 175 and Pottorf 2022, 205.

YOS 4 244 (AS 4/xii/-).

SAKF 83 (AS 4/xiii*/-).

TCL 5 5675 (AS 4/xiii*/-).

MVN 21 52 (AS 4/-/-).

UCP 9-2-1 100 (AS 4/-/-).

SAT 2 883 (AS 5/vi*/20*).

CUSAS 39 127 (AS 5/vii/15).

CUSAS 39 133 (AS 5/vii/15).

CUSAS 39 140 (AS 5/vii/[ ]). The date is based on Ur-Halmuša, Ur-E’e, Ur-Suen, Šešani, Ur-Kalkal, A-dingirga, Lu-lugal, Urani, Inim-Šara, Ur-Ninazu, Šeš-kala, Šara-ayamu, Šeš-kala, Lugal-hare, Lugal-ezem, Namtar-ibgul, Šu-imbi, Lugal-nirgal, Gir-Šara-idab, Girne-isa, Ur-Šulpae, and Lu-Ninura (CUSAS 39 128 obv. iii 25; 135 rev. v 4 [CDLI], 5, 7, 9–10, 19, 21, 23–25, 27, 29, 33, 35, 37, 39–40, 42, vi 1; 140 obv. i 14' [CDLI], 16' [CDLI], 20' [CDLI], 22', 23' [based on context, this individual is notated with aš], ii 4', 7', 9'–10', 12'–14', 16'–17'–20', 22', 24', iii 18', 21' [CDLI], rev. i 18; Nisaba 34 1197 obv. i 6, ii 10; Organisation administrative, Diss., T. 12, Talon-Vanderroost 5, 230 obv. i 5).

BDTNS 196758 ([-]/[-]/[-]). While the reverse is not available, this text predates Organisation administrative, Diss., T. 6, Talon-Vanderroost 1, 202-210 based on Nabalu and Lugal-šunire (BDTNS 196758 obv. ii 1, 4; Organisation administrative, Diss., T. 6, Talon-Vanderroost 1, 202-210 rev. ii 3, 6).

Organisation administrative, Diss., T. 6, Talon-Vanderroost 1, 202-210 ([-]/[-]/[-]). For the possible date, see Pottorf 2022, 133 n. 185 for the possible date. Here, its date is approximated as AS 5/xii/-.

CUSAS 39 129 (AS 5/-/-).

MVN 8 231 (AS 6/i*/-). The date is based on Alli (or Allimu) and Lugal-hegal (MVN 8 231 obv. 1–2; Nisaba 6 10 obv. i 16 [collated in the table here], 17).

AnOr 7 301 ([-]/[-]/[-]). This text predates CUSAS 39 135 based on two Lu-Šara’s and Tirgu (AnOr 7 301 obv. ii' 3, 18, iii' 23; CUSAS 39 135 obv. i 40, ii 11, 37).

Nisaba 23 9 (-/-/-). This text predates CUSAS 39 135 based on Tirgu (Nisaba 23 9 obv. i 9; CUSAS 39 135 obv. ii 11). This text also postdates AnOr 7 301 based on Durgarni (AnOr 7 301 obv. ii' 18; Nisaba 23 9 obv. i 8). Note that the diš signs in this text simply count individuals rather than notate them as full-time (see also Pottorf 2022, 283 n. 371).

CUSAS 39 135 (AS 6/v*/-). For the date, see the comment regarding the date for CUSAS 39 140.

BPOA 1 369 (AS 6/x*/-). The date is based on Lu-melam, Ur-Damgalnunka, Dudubi (or Dudumu) Lugal-magure, and Ane-babdu (BPOA 1 369 obv. 1, 3–5, 8; Nisaba 23 9 rev. i 18–21, ii 5; TCL 5 5674 obv. i 3', ii 26–28, iii 15', rev. ii 15, v 18–20).

CUSAS 39 130 (AS 6/xi/-).

BCT 2 288 (AS 6/xii/-).

Nisaba 6 10 (AS 6/xii/-).

Nisaba 26 17 (AS 6/xii/-). The date is based on Ur-Šulpae, Arad-Šara, Ur-Bilgames, and Šešani (Nisaba 26 17 obv. 2–3, rev. 5–6; Organisation administrative, Diss., T. 6, Talon-Vanderroost 1, 202-210 obv. ix 17–18; T. 7, Talon-Vanderroost 2, 217 obv. ii 15–16; Santag 6 384 rev. vi' 2'–3').

YOS 4 232 (AS 6/xii/-). The date is based on Ur-e-ana, Šara-kam, Ur-Saman, Šešani, and Ur-mes (AAICAB 1/1 Ashm. 1924-0665 obv. i 18–19, 24, 36; Organisation administrative, Diss., T. 6, Talon-Vanderroost 1, 202-210 rev. iii 27'; Torino 2 704 obv. ii 7; YOS 4 232 obv. i 10, ii 16–17, rev. i 22, ii 5, 23).

AAICAB 1/1 Ashm. 1924-0665 (AS 6/xiii*/-). The date is based on Ur-e-ana, Šara-kam, and Šešani (AAICAB 1/1 Ashm. 1924-0665 obv. i 18–19, 36; YOS 4 232 obv. i 10, ii 16–17).

BPOA 7 2058 (AS 6/xiii*/-). The date is based on Ur-gigir (AnOr 1 88 obv. iv 19; BPOA 7 2058 obv. 3).

Torino 2 706 ([-]/[-]/[-]). The date is around AS 6 based on Aya-gena and Lugal-amar-ku (CUSAS 39 135 obv. iv 29, rev. v 14; Torino 2 706 A obv. ii' 4', B rev. iii' 5') and predates AS 7 based on Lugal-amar-ku (TCL 5 6038 obv. iv 10; Torino 2 706 B rev. iii' 5'). Note the presence of Ea-lubi and Ku-Šara in this text and BM 106132 cited above. Ea-lubi in this text suggests that it postdates BM 106132, but Ku-Šara does not appear to age as much as would be expected between the texts.

MVN 15 238 (AS 7*/-/-).

OrSP 47-49 483 (-/-/-). The date is around AS 7 based on Ur-Geštinanka, Šešani, Lu-dingira, and Ur-Guedena (OrSP 47-49 483 obv. i 14, ii 9, 12, rev. i 14; Torino 2 704 obv. i 2, 5, ii 3, 9; YOS 4 232 rev. ii 22).

SNAT 405 (AS 8/ix*/15*). The date is based on Ur-nigar and Inimani-zi (Princeton 1 368 obv. 1; Santag 6 384 obv. iv' 3'; SNAT 405 obv. 3, rev. 2).

CDLI P429776 (AS 8/xii/-).

Princeton 2 482 (AS 8/xii*/-). The date is based on Lugal-nizu (CUSAS 39 135 obv. iii 26; Princeton 2 482 obv. 1).

OrSP 47-49 382 (AS 8/?/-). The month is considered the sixth or twelfth month according to BDTNS and CDLI.

MVN 16 1217 (ŠS 1/i*/-).

BPOA 1 810 (ŠS 1/iv*/-).

UTI 3 1971 (ŠS 1*/xii*/-).

BPOA 1 757 (ŠS 1/-/-).

Organisation administrative, Diss., T. 10, Talon-Vanderroost 3, 226 (ŠS 1/-/-).

CDLJ 2003: 1 2 (ŠS 2/i*/-).

UTI 3 1721 (ŠS 2*/v*/-).

BPOA 2 2474 (ŠS 2/xii*/-).

CDLJ 2003: 1 1 (ŠS 2/xii*/-).

MVN 21 342 (ŠS 2/-/-).

BPOA 7 1842 (ŠS 3/v*/-).

MVN 16 777 (ŠS 3/v*/-).

MVN 21 79 (ŠS 3/xiii*/-).

MVN 18 423 (ŠS 3/-/-).

UTI 5 3113 (ŠS 3/i*/-).

BPOA 2 2002 (ŠS 4/xi*/-).

SAT 3 1515 (ŠS 4/xii*/-).

Princeton 1 556 (-/-/-). This text predates CST 880 based on Dadamu (CST 880 rev. i 3; Princeton 1 556 obv. i 12).

CST 880 (ŠS 5/vii/[-]).

AAICAB 1/1 Ashm. 1911-228 (ŠS 5/vii/-).

YOS 4 160 (ŠS 6/ix*/10*).

YOS 4 200 (ŠS 8/i*/-).

Nisaba 33 521 (ŠS 8/-/-).

AION 64, 41 (ŠS 8/-/-).

Nisaba 23 101 (ŠS [ ]/-/-).

Nisaba 34 675 (?/-/-). According to BDTNS, the date is ambiguous.

CUSAS 39 138 ([-]/[-]/[-]).

CUSAS 39 139 ([-]/[-]/[-]).

ŠA 135 (LXXIV) ([-]/[-]/[-]).

BPOA 2 2557 (-/-/-). CUSAS 40/2 736 is nearly identical to BPOA 2 2557 (Pottorf 2022, 210), but it clarifies that the various conscripted individuals were fishermen. It does not clearly distinguish between dumu-gir15 and UN-il2, however, so it is not included. Compared to BPOA 2 2557, CUSAS 40/2 736 is a good example of how citizens and UN-il2 can be counted with diš signs rather than notated as full-time (see also the comment for Nisaba 23 9).

MVN 3 370 (-/-/-).

Nisaba 23 47 (-/-/-).

Nisaba 23 52 (-/-/-).

Nisaba 23 79 (-/-/-).

Each individual is assigned a personal identification number (PIN), and they are sequenced according to their attestations in the texts above, such that Lugal-itida (PIN 1) is the first individual included here in the earliest text.

There are a few considerations that need to be mentioned. Every individual included here demonstrates at least one Observation No., and all their attestations in every text listed here are included, unless they lack many details or are too fragmentary. In terms of inferring an individual’s order, only juxtaposition to UN-il2 is included, as opposed to inferences based on familial relationships or occupations. If a text is too fragmentary, then it cannot be certain whether an individual’s social stratum is inferable from juxtaposition. If individuals are included from such fragmentary texts, then their order is described as “dumu-gir15 / eren2 / inferred (?).” Individuals included in less fragmentary texts in which this inference is possible but not certain are described as “inferred (?)” Although it is possible in some texts to infer an indented individual’s order, this is not consistently possible, so such individuals are not included here. Individuals with an implied notation of 1, meaning they were full time, occur in accounts where only their ½ notations are given, yet they were conscripted full time for additional time specified in the accounts (Pottorf 2022, 204). Individuals with notations in texts describing bala work that was owed (Pottorf 2022, 210–11), in texts describing individuals that were seized by force, detained or released (Pottorf 2022, 248–51) with the exception of SNAT 405, or in mar-sa inspections are omitted. Details regarding notations, occupations, or allotments repeated in a text’s totals section are not cited here. Occupations include specific terms as well as phrases on some occasions. While phrases involving giri3-se3-ga (“personnel”) are helpful and relate to occupations, they are not included here. Occupations and allotments are translated, though they are not necessarily literal, and they do not account for damage or uncertainty. In some translations of subsistence-land allotments, “FD” means “field description.” For translations of occupations modified by -še3 or -ta, see Pottorf 2022, 161–62. For translations of agar4-nigin2, u2-il2 gu2-ne-sag, and um-mi-a, see Pottorf 2026b.

AAICAB 1/1 Ashm. 1924-0665 obv. i 13 is edited as: nu-giškiri6 Me-pa-e3-me. The transliteration CDLI P421274 is intended for the publication of my dissertation as a book. In NATN 25, several individuals have two ½ notations because they appear to have been conscripted at half-time rates for two separate conscription periods, but details regarding the conscription periods are damaged. This could apply to other individuals who are attested once in this text due to damage. Nisaba 23 2 rev. i 5–12, iii 10–27 in BDTNS are numbered as rev. i 5'–12', iii 10'–27' here. Based on a visit to the British Museum, Nisaba 23 2 rev. ii 9' is collated in Pottorf 2026a. Nisaba 23 9 obv. ii 14, lo. ed. 2, and rev. ii 3 are collated in Pottorf 2022, 393. Rev. ii 17 is collated as: šu-nigin2 ⸢20⸣ la2-1 dumu-gir15. In OrSP 47-49 382, eren2-me may be written between rev. iii 13: šu-nigin2 2 dumu nita2 nu-dib and 14: šu-nigin2 4(AŠc) gan2 UN guruš. This part of the text is written on dry clay and several of the signs are difficult to read. Santag 6 384 rev. vi 7', 16', 18', and 32' should be similar or perhaps identical to Nisaba 26 17 obv. 7, 16–17, and rev. 12, but these lines are too damaged to edit. Benjamin Studevent-Hickman (2016, 2: 440) transliterates YOS 4 232 rev. ii 34 as “šu+nigin2 3 šu-gi4<<eren2>>-me.” eren2-me refers to all the individuals totaled in rev. ii 27–34.

 

Bibliography

Englund, Robert K. 2003. “The Year: ‘Nissen returns joyous from a distant island.’” CDLJ 2003.1. https://cdli.earth/articles/cdlj/2003-1.

Koslova, Natalia. 2000. Ur III-Texte der St. Petersburger Ermitage, SANTAG: Arbeiten und Untersuchungen zur Keilschriftkunde 6. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.

———. 2008. “Bezeichnungen der Arbeitskräfte in Umma der Ur III-Zeit.” Pages 149–206 in The Growth of an Early State in Mesopotamia: Studies in Ur III Administration; Proceedings of the First and Second Ur III Workshops at the 49th and 51st Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, London July 10, 2003 and Chicago July 19, 2005. Edited by Steven J. Garfinkle and J. Cale Johnson. BPOA 5. Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas.

Ozaki, Tohru, and Marcel Sigrist with the collaboration of Lorenzo Verderame. 2006. Ur III Administrative Tablets from the British Museum. Part 2. BPOA 2. Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas.

Pottorf, Andrew Richard. 2022. “Social Stratification in Southern Mesopotamia during the Third Dynasty of Ur (ca. 2100–2000 BCE).” PhD diss., Harvard University.

———. 2025a. “Number of Children per Conscripted or Enslaved Adult in Ur III Umma Inspections and Similar Texts.” Zenodo, December 29. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18064759.

———. 2025b. “un-il2 (‘Menials’) as a Serflike Social Stratum during the Ur III Period.” Pages 83–113 in Beyond Slavery and Freedom in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edited by Vitali Bartash and Andrew Pottorf. JANEH 12.1.

———. 2026a. “Allotments according to Age-Bracket Notations for Conscripted Male Citizens and un-il2 in Ur III Umma Texts.” Zenodo, January 23. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18234356.

———. 2026b. “Half-time (½c) and Full-time (ašc) Conscription Rates of Citizen and un-il2 Men according to Occupation in Ur III Umma Texts.” Zenodo, January 19. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18281279.

———. Forthcoming a. “Caring for the Elderly in Third-Millennium Mesopotamia: Temporary Conscription Exemption during the Ur III Period.” In Aging, Old Age, and Constructions of Old Age in the Ancient Near East. Edited by Alison Acker Gruseke and Carol Meyers. Kasion. Münster: Zaphon.

———. Forthcoming b. “From the Ground Up: The Foundational Role of the Land-Tenure System for Social Stratification in Southern Mesopotamia during the Ur III Period.” In Concepts of Governance and the Study of Ancient Near Eastern Societies. Edited by Eva Cancik-Kirschbaum, Jörg Klinger, and Aron Dornauer. Melammu Symposia 16. Vienna: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften.

Studevent-Hickman, Benjamin. 2006. “The Organization of Manual Labor in Ur III Babylonia.” 2 vols. PhD diss., Harvard University.

 

Versioning and Future Updates

●      Version 1 (January 27, 2026): Initial public release.

●      Planned Version 2 will include more individuals.

●      The most current version will always be available via the Zenodo DOI landing page.

 

Keywords

Mesopotamia • Ur III period • Sumerian • cuneiform • BDTNS • CDLI • citizens • conscription allotments and rates • occupations

 

Contact

Andrew Pottorf 📧 apottorf21@gmail.com ORCID: 0000-0002-7842-5979