Evidence · Hurrian songs of Ugarit

CBS 10996 defines each of the fourteen terms as a pair of string numbers, so the terms in h.6 name two strings.

Established0

What it means

Key questionWhat do the interval names and numerals in the notation of h.6 instruct a performer to play?

5 answers, none ahead yet

Openunchanged

Answer this evidence bears onDyads with repetition counts (Kilmer; Dumbrill in a nine-note frame)

Supports1 for, 2 against

Still possibleunchanged

Next steps 3

Key the notation lines of all ~35 fragments from Laroche, Ugaritica V pp. 462-496 (with Dietrich and Loretz 1975 corrections for h.6), into one CSV of fragment, line, position, Hurrian term, Akkadian equivalent, string pair and numeral, using the string-pair table DAT0DEDTRRNXZCV as the key; reproduce Rahn's 2011 counts as a check.

~12 h

On: What do the interval names and numerals in the notation of h.6 instruct a performer to play?

—not judged

Test the numeral readings against a null model: compare the observed distribution of numerals 1 to 10 across all fragments with the distributions expected under repetition counts (geometric-like, no parity preference) and under duple durations (excess of 2 and 4), using a permutation test; report whether Hagel's duration reading beats the repetition reading.

~4 h

On: What do the interval names and numerals in the notation of h.6 instruct a performer to play?

—not judged

Count the sung syllables of h.6 from Laroche's transliteration under both rules for the repeated line-end syllables, and compare with the note totals implied by Kilmer's, Duchesne-Guillemin's, West's and Hagel's readings; publish which readings can match under which rule.

~6 h

On: What do the interval names and numerals in the notation of h.6 instruct a performer to play?

—not judged

Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes

Sources 3

A Music Tablet from Sippar(?): BM 65217 + 66616

Kilmer 1984

SRC

CDLI P254475: CBS 10996 (OrNS 29, 273), Nippur, Middle Babylonian

Initiative 2023

SRC

The Discovery of an Ancient Mesopotamian Theory of Music

Kilmer 1971

SRC

Cite it

Mysteries Department. (2026). CBS 10996 defines each of the fourteen terms as a pair of string numbers, so the terms in h.6 name two strings. [Evidence EVD0DEDYFQZCRMK]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DEDYFQZCRMK

@misc{mysteriesdept_evd0dedyfqzcrmk,
  title     = {CBS 10996 defines each of the fourteen terms as a pair of string numbers, so the terms in h.6 name two strings.},
  author    = {{Mysteries Department}},
  year      = {2026},
  note      = {Evidence, catalog key EVD0DEDYFQZCRMK},
  url       = {https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DEDYFQZCRMK}
}