Run · Proto-cuneiform: the archaic texts of Uruk

Reading bridge: archaic names matched to attested Early Dynastic names

Name-element enrichment against a corpus baseline: R1 share of archaic multi-sign name types whose sign multiset equals an Early Dynastic name type, against length-matched archaic administrative entries; R2 Spearman correlation of per-sign name preference across periods, against a permutation null.

Result

Run	Measured	Result	Against	Decision	Date
Run	R1 share of archaic multi-sign name types whose sign multiset equals an Early Dynastic name type, against length-matched archaic administrative entries; R2 Spearman correlation of per-sign name preference across periods, against a permutation null	{'R1': {'p': 0.0002, 'rate': 0.087, 'matched': 27, 'name_types': 311, 'ED_name_types': 7162, 'label_null_95': [0.023, 0.068], 'label_null_median': 0.042}, 'R2': {'p': 0.0015, 'signs': 140, 'null_95': [-0.174, 0.159], 'spearman': 0.249}}	Archaic administrative entry types of the same lengths (5,000 resamples) · permuted name-preference scores (2,000)	Both pre-declared tests are positive. Archaic names recur as Early Dynastic names at twice the chance rate, and name-specific signs are shared across the break. The archaic onomasticon is mixed, with a continuous Sumerian layer. Two specific readings are raised as questions: GIR3 NI = giri3-ni, and EN AN E2 = Enlil.

What it used and found

Name-element enrichment against a corpus baseline

Method

MTH

Archaic personal names in proto-cuneiform (editor-marked, CDLI)

Dataset

DAT

Early Dynastic Sumerian personal names, lemmatized (Oracc ePSD2 admin corpora ED I–II, IIIa, IIIb)

Dataset

DAT

Proto-cuneiform records Sumerian

Answer it tests

ANS

Archaic names match ordinary entries less than attested Sumerian names do, but no more than shuffled names (superseded)

Evidence it produced

EVD

The non-Sumerian profile is a majority pattern, not a total one

Evidence it produced

EVD

The same signs specialise in names before and after the break

Evidence it produced

EVD

Figures 1

Figure 1

Archaic names recur as attested Sumerian names twice as often as ordinary entries do

Share of archaic multi-sign entry types whose sign set equals an Early Dynastic personal name; CDLI Uruk III and Oracc ePSD2 (7,162 name types)

match rate

Matches include e2-zi, giri3-ni, šu-me, gi-na, ma-ma, en-ki and {d}en-lil2. Single matches can be coincidental; the rate is the evidence.

Drawn by the site

Parameters

crosswalk = {'|GA2xAN|': 'AMA', '|AMARxPAP|': 'AMAR', '|SAL.TUG2|': 'NIN', '|SZESZ.KI|': 'NANNA'}, ED_corpora = ['ed12', 'ed3a', 'ed3b'], match_rule = identical sign multiset, archaic 2+ signs, R2_min_count = 10, candidate_threshold_logodds = 0.7

Cite it

Mysteries Department. (2026). Reading bridge: archaic names matched to attested Early Dynastic names [Run RUN0DG2TH9G7RGF]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/RUN0DG2TH9G7RGF

@misc{mysteriesdept_run0dg2th9g7rgf,
  title     = {Reading bridge: archaic names matched to attested Early Dynastic names},
  author    = {{Mysteries Department}},
  year      = {2026},
  note      = {Run, catalog key RUN0DG2TH9G7RGF},
  url       = {https://mysteriesdept.com/r/RUN0DG2TH9G7RGF}
}