Update: Ancient Clay Tablets

[u/olta8]

/r/Cuneiform/comments/1uyw8oq/a_redditor_posted_this_anyone_have_any_thoughts/?share_id=qiVh3caSxh8sz-VLoNY9d&utm_content=share_button&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

Original post is linked.

From the help of a user here, it was translated. If they want me to take this down let me know.

Beginning of message!

Brick inscription of

KING UNTASH-NAPIRISHA OF ELAM, 1340-1300 BC. (Middle Elamite Period)

The complete brick inscription as known from many duplicate is given; only the ends of the lines are preserved on this example; the restored parts are between square brackets.

Susa-Choga-Zambil no. 1 (=EKI 12). This is a duplicate of many similar bricks from the sites of Susa and Choga-Zambil in Iran.

(1) ] [ù un-taš-DINGIR.GAL ša-ak dhu-ban-um-me-en-na-ki su-un]-ki-ik an-za-an
(2) [šu-šu-un-ka ta-a k-me ú-me tu4-ur-hi-ih si-it]-me ú-me šu-ul-lu-me-ga
(3) [az-ki-it tu4-ur sah -ri hu-šu-ya in-gi hi-en-ga] in di-ig-ga a-gi
(4) [si-ya-an ú -pa-at hu-us-si-ip-me ku-ku-un]-nu-um up-kum-mi-ia ku-ši-ih
(5) [d.in-šu-uš-na-ak si-ya-an-ku-uk-ra5 in] du-ni-ih ú zig-ra-tu4-me
(6) [ ki-ik-ki-te-eh hu-ut-tak-ha-l i-ik ú-me din-šu-uš]-na-ak ul-li-na te-la-ak-ni

(1) I (am) Untash-Napirisha, son of Humbannumena, king of Anzan
(2) and Susa, in order that I preserve my life and my reign of well-being,
(3) the extinction of lineage may not be granted to me (at the time of) judgment (?), for that (reason)
(4-5) I built a temple of baked bricks, a high temple of glazed bricks, and to (the god) Inshushinak of Siyankuk "of the sacred precinct"
(6) I gave/dedicated it. I raised a ziggurat (complex). May my work/deed be acceptable to Inshushinak as a gift.

There are a number of variant translations of this brick – as for most Elamite inscriptions -- as Elamite language is still poorly known.

The most common inscribed bricks at Choga Zanbil, some 70 % of the total number, had the same Elamite text as this brick. A total of 662 bricks with this inscription were still found in situ in the walls of ziggurrat. A limited number of bricks with this inscription were also reported to have been found in Susa. According to texts inscribed on more than 5,000 bricks, at least 18 different deities were worshipped in more than 50 shrines at the site. The Choga Zanbil ziqqurrat was built principally of sundried mud-bricks covered with a 2 m thick shell of baked brick.

End of message!

Based on that translation, I've created a more human readable interpretation:

I am Untash-Napirisha, son of Humbannumena, king of Anzan and Susa. May my life be preserved, my reign endure, and my royal line never come to an end. Therefore I built a grand temple of baked and glazed brick and dedicated it to the god Inshushinak of Siyankuk, of the Sacred Precinct. I raised a ziggurat. May Inshushinak accept my work as an offering.

Very neat stuff.

[u/Salt-Resident7856]

What is the sign transcribed as “dhu?”

[u/Nilehorse3276]

..."more human readable interpretation"?

[u/olta8 → u/Nilehorse3276]

If you've got something better I'm all ears

[u/Nilehorse3276 → u/olta8]

I mean, why do you feel that the translation that follows the syntax of the source language is not humanly readable? Genuinely curious

[u/olta8 → u/Nilehorse3276]

I have many issues with it. Mainly semantics and core message. It reads exactly like a word-to-word translation to English from someone who has a different native tongue.

In particular parts like "the extinction of lineage not be granted to me". Nobody would say this in modern English. A king talking about lineage... do you mean royal line? And, being something that is "granted" but also considered undesirable in the same sentence is a bizarre inconsistency.

But there is a more fundamental issue. When making it human readable I was thinking of the tradeoffs between what the original text is saying and what it Is meaning. The original text and the translation ambiguously refer to two distinct structures: one a temple of baked bricks and the other a high temple of glazed brick. But from (cursory and maybe flawed) research online it looks like it's only referring to a single structure (the only one relevant at the site) and using repititions. A modern equivalent is Trump's speech patterns: "We have a country that is failing. We have a country that is dying, franky. We are a nation in decline". This isn't referring to multiple different things. It could be speculatively argued that the original language simply didn't have the language constructs to make this distinction and thus it's better to simply resolve it in the translation.

I could keep going, but just know that each word was a conscious decision (though even now there are things I should reconsider, like "preserved" is awkward), with a preference for interpretation with the goal of conveying the author's deduced intent and readability. And, I'm not an expert; I'm working with what I have.

But taking a step back, I'm curious why you feel the original translation is readable. I find this surprising.

[u/Nilehorse3276 → u/olta8]

It is not your place to judge an ancient culture's way of speaking by your own standards. Not gonna comment further because as a Sumerologist I find your statements highly problematic at best. You clearly have no respect for the rhetoric styles of people who are not you.

[u/olta8 → u/Nilehorse3276]

my goal is to read the thing! that's the functional requirement and I simply couldn't do that without effort. it could just be a skill issue on my part, but I'm inclined to think otherwise.

judge an ancient culture's way of speaking ... no respect for the rhetoric styles

my goal is not to disrespect nor judge. that's a weird projection from you, or your lived experiences, but not me. it could also be gatekeeping, but either way, I find your negative comment unwarranted.

with that out of the way, if you'd like to move forward in this conversation without degrading me, and to articulate what the problems are, I would sincerely appreciate it.