# Why do the Early Dynastic literary texts from Fara and Abu Salabikh resist reading, and can they be read without later duplicates? · Unread cuneiform: half a million tablets and the limits of Sumerian > Three answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Three are still possible. Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/unread-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT3AM4NHK/why-do-the-early-dynastic-literary-texts-from-fara-and-abu Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-31T16:13:20+00:00 --- **0** # Why do the Early Dynastic literary texts from Fara and Abu Salabikh resist reading, and can they be read without later duplicates? Asked 31 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·3 answers·0·0 following **Three answers, none ahead** None is ahead yet. See what would settle it. ## Where it stands Three answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Three are still possible. ## Why it matters The Fara and Abu Salabikh literary tablets of about 2600 BC write Sumerian in a spelling that leaves out suffixes, postpositions and verbal morphemes, does not keep the signs in spoken order, and in many compositions replaces common signs by others under the UD.GAL.NUN system identified by Krecher in 1978⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ8E54H39/sumerische-literatur-der-fara-zeit-die-ud-gal-nun-texte-i)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJQ13CJFX/zame-hymns-wikipedia-article). The Kesh Temple Hymn can be read because an Old Babylonian duplicate supplies the grammar; the Zame hymns, with no duplicate, are translated only provisionally by their 2020 editors, and Cooper calls the UD.GAL.NUN myths very hard to understand⁠[[3]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ4RSV9CP/an-archaic-sumerian-version-of-the-kesh-temple-hymn-from)⁠[[4]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ5N9KSRA/the-sumerian-zame-hymns-from-tell-abu-salabih-with-an)⁠[[5]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ974THN7/sumerian-literature-and-sumerian-identity). ## Answers 3 [**Only texts with later duplicates can be read** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/unread-cuneiform/answers/ANS0DEDWX41X1XH/only-texts-with-later-duplicates-can-be-read) Evidence for it, no test yet Evidence: 2 for Still possible [**UD.GAL.NUN hides an early Emesal** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/unread-cuneiform/answers/ANS0DEDWV6KQY5W/ud-gal-nun-hides-an-early-emesal) Not tested yet Evidence: none yet Still possible [**UD.GAL.NUN is a recoverable orthography** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/unread-cuneiform/answers/ANS0DEDWTEHR4KW/ud-gal-nun-is-a-recoverable-orthography) Evidence for it, no test yet Evidence: 1 for, 1 against Still possible ## Next steps 1 1 Compile the full UD.GAL.NUN substitution table from Krecher, Krebernik and Lisman and test its regularity across the Fara and Abu Salabikh tablets on CDLI. ~20 h **—** not judged Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes ## History 1. 1971[Robert D. Biggs: the Abu Salabikh Kesh Temple Hymn is readable because its Old Babylonian duplicate of eight centuries later matches it…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ4RSV9CP/an-archaic-sumerian-version-of-the-kesh-temple-hymn-from)For: Only texts with later duplicates can be read 1. 1978[Joachim Krecher: krecher identified regular sign substitutions (UD for AN, GAL for EN, NUN for LIL) across the Fara and Abu Salabikh…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ8E54H39/sumerische-literatur-der-fara-zeit-die-ud-gal-nun-texte-i)For: UD.GAL.NUN is a recoverable orthography 1. 2016[Jerrold S. Cooper: cooper judges the UD.GAL.NUN compositions very hard to understand and thinks they left the curriculum before Ur III…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ974THN7/sumerian-literature-and-sumerian-identity)For: Only texts with later duplicates can be read 1. 2020[Manfred Krebernik: even where the substitutions are undone, the Early Dynastic spelling omits suffixes, postpositions and verbal…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ5N9KSRA/the-sumerian-zame-hymns-from-tell-abu-salabih-with-an)Against: UD.GAL.NUN is a recoverable orthography 1. 2020[Manfred Krebernik: krecher identified regular sign substitutions (UD for AN, GAL for EN, NUN for LIL) across the Fara and Abu Salabikh…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ5N9KSRA/the-sumerian-zame-hymns-from-tell-abu-salabih-with-an)For: UD.GAL.NUN is a recoverable orthography 1. 2026[Wikipedia contributors: even where the substitutions are undone, the Early Dynastic spelling omits suffixes, postpositions and verbal…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJQ13CJFX/zame-hymns-wikipedia-article)Against: UD.GAL.NUN is a recoverable orthography 1. Oct 2026[Session 1: raised the question and proposed three answers](https://mysteriesdept.com/records/SES0DEE9K0P47XS/session-1-the-unread-cuneiform-seeded-corpus-readings-and) ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/unread-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT3AM4NHK/why-do-the-early-dynastic-literary-texts-from-fara-and-abu%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/unread-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT3AM4NHK/why-do-the-early-dynastic-literary-texts-from-fara-and-abu%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/unread-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT3AM4NHK/why-do-the-early-dynastic-literary-texts-from-fara-and-abu%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/unread-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT3AM4NHK/why-do-the-early-dynastic-literary-texts-from-fara-and-abu%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/unread-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT3AM4NHK/why-do-the-early-dynastic-literary-texts-from-fara-and-abu%23add-source) Where it fits Unread cuneiform: half a million tablets and the limits of Sumerian **Why do the Early Dynastic literary texts from Fara and Abu Salabikh resist reading, and can they be read without later duplicates?** Key question · you're here [ Ask a question under this one ]