TEBR 45

• Eanna

• Uruk

• balance

The metallurgical nomenclature - and especially the use of siparru - is not in itself particularly clear, but the numbers show what is going on and clarify the terminology at each step of the procedure. The raw material is described as "one hundred twenty-one and five-sixths minas of siparru, thirteen minas of tin" - note the two quantities juxtaposed, no conjunction between them.

The editor of the text thought that these two quantities had to be added (ie, s|parrü and tin),24 but the numbers show that the phrase is rather to be interpreted as one hundred twenty-one and five-sixths minas of siparru including thirteen minas of tin - ie, indicating the percentage of that alloy that was to be composed of tin. (This usage is paralleled in Sennacherib's classical description of the bronze pillars, made with tin in a ratio of 6:1 - where the second metal in the alloy is not mentioned).^ The smith has one hundred twenty-one and five-sixths minas before the procedure, fifteen minas are lost during the procedure, and one hundred six and five-sixths minas are left at the end of the procedure. Note the terms used for the metal at each stage:

metal before the procedure: "siparru, tin" = siparru including tin

metal lost during the procedure: "siparru and(?) tin11

metal -left after the procedure: "siparru 

Siparru at the beginning of the process designates the total arnount of unmixed metal, copper as well as tin. Siparru during the procedure could refer primarily to copper (but this is not entirely clear since the Babylonian conjunction u can mean "or" as well as "and").24 Siparru after the end of the procedure cíéarly refers to bronze. Note that all of these references are to metal in raw form, not finished metal objects; and they apparently represent a fairly broad spectrum of meanings. Zaccagnini's hypothesis would be hard put to cover all the aspects of this case. (Parenthetically, it may be noted that it seems unlikely that recasting or even realloying of bronze is involved here - since the approximate 90%-10% ratio of copper to tin is well within

optimum limits; also the loss rate of 10.7% is good even by modern standards). Despite the terminological obscurity, it is clear frorn this case that an individual smith in Babylonia could work from raw materials and that bronze was produced in the country.

Edition Joannès Analyse Brinkman

2 gun 1 2/3 ma-na- zabar 13 ma-na an-na šá u4 14-kam šá iti apin pe-et-qu 15 ma-na zabar u an-na ina pit-qa in-da-⸢ṭu⸣ 1 gun 46 ma-na 50 gín zabar 8 ku-šu-ur ina igi Iba-zu-zu lúsimug

(1) ligne érasée. (2-3) (A propos) des dattes selectionnées provenant du fermage de Kalbaia fils d'Iqišaia : (3) 186 l. (sont pour) kudurranu fils d'Arad-Innina. (4) 162 l. (sont pour) Nabu-mudammiq fils de Šamaš-zer-ibni. (5) 804 l. (sont pour) Zeriya fils de Nanaia-zer-iddin. (6) 25000 g. de sel pour les offrandes régulières (sont pour) Balaṭu fils de Nabu-ušallim. (7) Šamaš-zer-iqiša a reçu 5240 g. de tendons. (8) 1000 g. de tendons (sont) à la disposition d'Iddiya le corroyeur. (9-10) Un cadavre de mouton pour 3 g. d'argent (est) à la disposition d'Iddin-nunu fils de Šulaia des rations du roi. (11-12) lignes érasées. (13) 2 talents 1 2/3 mine de bronze,l3 mines d'étain (14)qui ont été moulés le 14 Arahsamnu (15) il y a 15 mines de bronze et d'étain de perte à la fonte; (16) 1 talent 46 mines 50 sicles de bronze (17) en 8 lingots, à la disposition de Bazuzu, forgeron

• bronze
• copper
• tin

• lingot (kušru)

• manufacture
• Fonte (patāqu)

• kušru (lingot)

• Bazuzu

• artisan (du bronze), lúsimug

• B Gombert