Evidence · Proto-cuneiform: the archaic texts of Uruk
The first third of the Tribute list uses sign pairs that are rare in administrative texts (mean 15 tablets against 87…
The first third of the Tribute list uses sign pairs that are rare in administrative texts (mean 15 tablets against 87 for the final third, p = 0.0005), so the list is not a primer of common signs.
What it means
Key questionDo the Sumerian readings of the later copies of the lexical lists carry back to the archaic Uruk III exemplars?
No answer ahead yet
Openunchanged
Answer this evidence bears onSign sequences carry back; word identity is unproven
Bears on1 for, none against
Still possibleunchanged
Next steps 1
1
From the DCCLT composites, align each archaic Professions-list and Tribute-list entry with its Old Babylonian reading and score whether the reading is explicable from the archaic sign's picture or administrative use; compare the score distribution with a shuffled baseline.
~16 h
—not judged
Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes
Sources 2
Cite it
Mysteries Department. (2026). The first third of the Tribute list uses sign pairs that are rare in administrative texts (mean 15 tablets against 87… [Evidence EVD0DEE9K9F7X14]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DEE9K9F7X14
@misc{mysteriesdept_evd0dee9k9f7x14,
title = {The first third of the Tribute list uses sign pairs that are rare in administrative texts (mean 15 tablets against 87…},
author = {{Mysteries Department}},
year = {2026},
note = {Evidence, catalog key EVD0DEE9K9F7X14},
url = {https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DEE9K9F7X14}
}