Ancient to Medieval (And Slightly Later) History

Rare Mesopotamian vase describing the dredging of the Tigris c. 1848 BC

From the Larsa Dynasty during the reign of King Sin-Iddinam c. 1848 BC. This barrel vase is engraved with an historical inscription in cuneiform describing the dredging of the Tigris by King Sin-Iddinam. The vase reads:

I am Idinam-Sin , the powerful male, the feeder of the city of Ur , the king of the city of Larsa , king of Sumer and Akkad , who rebuilt the “bright house ,” the temple of the sun-god , who restored it and the divine rites. When the god An and Enlil the god , the moon-god and sun-god had given me a kingdom of justice and long days , I addressed to earnest prayers to the god An and Enlil god , a manifestation of my vast understanding, competent in this field, to provide fresh water to the cities of my country , skillful conduct intended to provide a wonderful illustration to my heroism , now and in the future. They hear my constant prayers . Regroove the Tigris and return (in bed ) , attach my name to the days of a long life : that was the mission they assigned me through their word indestructible . So, in the words of the god An and the goddess Inanna , with the agreement of the god Enlil and the goddess Ninlil , the storm god Marduk and my aid by the supreme power of the god and the god Year Sun , I  * grandly , my own decision , Tiger, water abundance of sun-god , to Kisourra I * my old lifted; superbly I * a reservoir , I procured an eternal water carrier prosperity for Larsa and my country . The widening of the Tigris, the gigantic river two Panum [ 100 l ] grain bread two sila [1 l. ½] , four beer [ 3 l ] , two shekels of oil [17 g] per day : this is what each man received in wages. There were none that touched less or more . I finished the job with the help of my country. I put the Tiger, wide river , in bed, on the order and the will of the gods . I imposed my name forever.

Note: The amount of wages paid here is exceptional (for some double standard). This barrel shaped vase was probably used as a votive offering in a temple, in order to obtain the protection and/or thank god, in fulfilling this dangerous work.

Sin-Iddinam ruled the ancient Near East city-state of Larsa from 1785 BC to 1778 BC. He was the son of Nur-Adad, with whom there may have been a short co-regency overlap. Larsa was an important city of ancient Sumer, the center of the cult of the sun god Utu. It lies some 25 km southeast of Uruk in Iraq’s Dhi Qar Governorate, near the east bank of the Shatt-en-Nil canal at the site of the modern settlement Tell as-Senkereh or Sankarah.

*I had to translate the vase translation from French, sorry, some of the words were unclear so I left them out.  C'est la vie.

(Source: pba-auctions.com)