Sealing

UE III: fragment of a pictographic inscription. Each sign or group of signs is enclosed by straight lines. The abstract symbols form already a well-established system of ideograms. Their connexion with the original figures like metal band, field, boring-tool, lathe, curved club, flying bird, buckled post, reed hut, star, panelled door, is mostly guesswork. Phonetic and syntactical elements are absent. Only an approximate transliteration based on the sign value of later texts can be suggested: kug-gan pisan + nagar dim or tuk (?) ...sal imgig (?) uru (?) unu (?) ub nigin (?)

The general meaning is still more dubious. It is perhaps a list of cities or territories owned by the local ruler, whatever his name. So much is clear from a comparison with fragments of inscriptions from the level SIS 4-5. They are the forerunners of later classical inscriptions: "Mighty King, King of Ur, King of the four corners of the world." Clay sealing. Baked and shellacked post-excavation. Fragment with various seal impressions.