Economic Template for a fictional Sumerian City

[ummia-inim-gina]

Below is a template for the economy of a fictional Sumerian city-state that I am creating in order to help me understand Mesopotamian economics utilizing the data collected by scribes mainly during the Ur III period. It is going to be a work in progress with the first step being detailing out a template for the economic activities present in the city-state. Then I intend to detail out the trading partners of the city-state. Then in a series a later posts, I intend to look at productivity ratios and economic exchange ratios based off the numbers found in the Ur III system of exchange for specific professions of which I will be deriving from a number of sources of which I will cite as I go.
The initial Template utilizes arbitrarily sized base units of 60 humans for sake of ease in calculating productivity. I will reference these units as a "households"and productivity and contribution to exchange will be measured by these households not by the individual. I then grouped these households into larger units of 600 people that I call "Villages." There are 12 rural agricultural villages that are then controlled by a larger centralized urban unit of 1,800 people that I call a "City". Finally, all of these units combine to a total sum of 9,000 people that I will refer to as the "City-State." The City-State's economy is primarily agricultural. The city exports Beer, Vegetables, Spices, Linen Clothing, Sesame Oil and industrial goods made of metal and wood.

The Village
I use the same economic model for all 12 rural agricultural villages of 600 people. The 10 households of the rural villages are organized into the following structure based off their economic activity:

6 households of farmers who each own a farm totaling 20 bur divided into 2 fields of 10 bur. A 10 bur field grows Barley and fruit, a 10 bur field grows onions, garlic and fruit and two 10 bur fields of lay fallow. A farm with two fields of 10 bur (63.5 hec) which would occupy 127 hec or 1.27 sq. Kilometers.

3 households of fishermen who also hunt, fowl and provide the village with reed bundles for fuel and various forms of construction. They live in reed houses clustered around the river near the village dock.This household is also available (along with nomadic shepherds) for hire for seasonal work on the farms. Some of the member of from this household act as conscripts and serve as military units to the administrative households.

1 household of administrators, millers, tavern workers and military soldiers. This household is involved in controlling the local mill which both processes all of the villages Barley and also acts as the government facility for the village. Half of the household consists of military men who are assigned to the village garrison tower. This half consist of 1/3 professional soldiers and 2/3 conscripted fishermen.

The village has the following structures: 6 farms, 1 Village Dock, 1 Garrison Tower and 1 Town. This gives each of these villages an economic profile of 80% agricultural, 10% Fishing and fowling, 5% military, 5% administrative. Each villages occupies a rural area of 200 bur (1,270 hec) or 12.7 sq.km.



The City
All twelve of these rural agricultural villages are controlled by one centralized urban city of 1,800 people. This city is composed of three units: The Palace, Temple and the Municipal Wharf an urban structure described by both Marc van de Mieroop in "The Ancient Mesopotamian City" [Oxford, 1997] and Nicholas Postgate in "Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the Dawn of History." Each of those 3 unit are composed of 600 people, the same population as an agricultural village. However all three of the units coexist in an area which is only 60 bur of land, giving the city a far more urbanized population density than the villages.



The 10 households that make up the Palace are grouped into larger units based off their economic activity. The main focus of economic activity of the palace is the Beer production. The Palace consists of the following:

1 administrative household gathered into an area called a "Royal Palace Chambers"

1 scribal household gathered into an area called a "Edubba"

3 military household gathered into an area called the "Royal Palace Fortress"

4 Brewing household gathered into an area called a "Royal Palace Brewery"

1 Laborer household into an area called a "Palace Laborer's Quarters"


The 10 households that make up the Temple are grouped into larger units based off their economic activity. The main focus of economic activity of the palace is Herb and Vegetable production as well as linen clothing and Sesame Oil. The Temple consists of the following:

1 religious administrative households gathered into an area called the "Temple Shrine"

1 Laborer households into an area called a "Temple Laborer's Quarters"

8 agricultural households gathered into an area called a "Temple Herb and Vegetable Garden"




The 10 households that make up the Municipal Wharf are grouped into larger units based off their economic activity. The main focus of economic activity of the Municipal Wharf is Metal and Wooden finished goods, jewelry and large amounts of Pottery used by the City-State to export various goods to trading partners. The Municipal Wharf consists of the following:

1 administrative household gathered into an area called the "Wharf Hall of Trade"

1 merchant household gathered into an area called the "Wharf Marketplace

2 maritime households gathered into an area called a "Wharf Harbor"

1 Carpentry household gathered into an area called a "Wharf Shipyard"

4 Artisan households gathered into an area called a "Wharf Artisan's Hall"

1 Pottery households gathered into an area called a "Wharf Potter's Hall"

[ummia-inim-gina]

The City-State (population: 9,000) [4,130 men / 4,870 women 46% male, / 54% female]

The City "iri" (1,800) [1490 men / 310 women]
12 Agricultural Villages "eduru" (600) (Totaling: 7,200) [2,640 men / 4,560 women]
[Total of 72 Farms in the city-state]


The City "iri" (1,800)
The Palace "egal" (600) [450 men/ 150 women]
Royal Palace Chambers (60)
1 lord "ensi"
3 advisers: "saĝar"
3 archivist: "bisaĝdubak"
3 diviner: "maššugidgid"
3 scholars "umbisaĝ"
3 doctors "azu"
6 accountants: "lu’imnak"
6 seal bearers: "kišibla"
6 couriers w/carts "gaba’aš"
10 informants "gabdudu"
10 heralds "niĝir"
10 royal officers "lusaĝlugal"

Royal Palace school "Edduba" (60)
- produces clay tablets "dub"
60 scribes "dubsar"

Royal Palace Brewery "Ebappir" (240)
- produces and exports beer"kaš" from Barley "še"*
60 brewers "lubappir"
30 potters: "bahar" mudbricks "šeg" and Pottery"dug"*
150 Female laborer "geme"

Palace Laborer's Quarters (60)
Constructs gate towers "dubla" and storage siloes "kimu" from mudbricks "šeg"
Constructs fortified tower "anzagar" from basalt "adbar"
60 conscripted laborers "gurush"

Military Unit "ugnim"
Mud brick"šeg" Fortress "birtu" with Basalt "adbar" walls "egar (181)
1 general"šakkanak" (commanding 6 military units of 30 men)
6 captains "ugula"
6 exorcists: "mumunĝal"
6 scouts "igibarra"
6 siege engineers "luigi-ĝal" w/3 siege weapons "^ĝešigi-ĝal "
18 soldiers "erin"
60 fishermen conscripted as soldiers: "lunigdab"




The Temple (600) [480 men / 120 women]
Inner Temple Shrine (60)
- produces musical instruments "ĝešdimdim" from bronze "'zabar" cedar "^ĝešeren" and reeds "gi"
[bronze kettledrum "liliis^zabar", reed flutes " ^ĝidid", wooden drums "^ĝešbalaĝ" and wooden lyres " ^ĝešzabitum"]*
60 priests "šimmu"

Temple Laborer's Quarters (60)
Constructs canals "par", dams "^geškešda", irrigation ditches "adaga", levees "eg", reservoir basins"a'igi" and weirs "kunzidda"
- produces engraved statue pedestals"kigalum" from alabaster "^naĝešnugal"
Constructs houses "e" and public lavatories "ešedak" from cedar "^ĝešeren"
Constructs shrines "eš" from diorite "naesi" and gypsum "imbabbar"
Constructs streets "tilla" from mudbricks "šeg"
20 architectural laborers "šidim"
10 stone-cutters "na"X"dim"
20 canal workers "a’igidu"
20 laborers "gurush"

Temple Garden with Oil Press and Textile Workshop (480)
- produces Vegetables: "u" Arugula "u", Leeks "zahadinsar", cucumbers "ukuš" and Turnips "lub^sar"
- produces Legumes: lentils "gutur" ("Small Pulse") and broad bean "gugala[ ("Big Pulse")
- produces and exports Herbs and Spices"mun-gazi": coriander "še-lù" "kisibirru" and cumin "zibum"*
- produces and exports infusions of Licorice root
"ĝeš-šeš", fennel "u-ranna" and mint "gazi"*
- produces flax seeds "gu"
- producesand exports linen "gada" from flax "gu" *
- produces sesame seeds"šeĝeš"
- produces and exports sesame seed oil "išeĝeš" from sesame seeds"šeĝeš" *
360 farmers "ensik"
60 female textile workers "gene"
60 female oil press workers "gene"



The Municipal Wharf (600) [560 men / 40 women]
Wharf Hall of Trade (60)
12 elders "šugi"
24 constables "galla"
24 merchant, businessmen "ibira"

Wharf Marketplace (60)
60 merchant, trader "damgar"

Wharf Harbor (120)
120 sailors "lumahlah"

Wharf Shipyard (60)
- produces wooden boats ^ĝešma" of cypress "^ĝeššurman"*
60 carpenters "nagar"

Wharf Artisan's Hall (240)
- produces firewood "^ĝešgibil" from tamarisk "^ĝeššinig"
- produces and exports wooden industrial tools from boxwood "^ĝeštaškarin"
[wooden buckets "^ĝešešla", wooden ladders "^ĝešgalam", wooden mallets "^ĝešekidma" and wooden seeder plows "^ĝešnumungar"]
- produces wooden and metal industrial tools from boxwood "^ĝeštaškarin" and copper "urud"*
[adzes "^urudgiĝ", axes "^urudhazin", hoes "^urudhabuda" and shovels "^urudmar" ]
- produces and exports wooden Furniture from poplar "ĝešasal"*
[wooden beds "ĝešnud", wooden chairs "ĝešguza", and wooden tables "ĝešbanšur"]
- produces wooden arms from cedar "^ĝešeren"*
[battering ram "^ĝešgusiaš", siege weapon (catapult) "^ĝešigiĝal", wooden arrow "ti", and wooden bow "^ĝešillar"]
- produces and exports wooden vehicles from cypress "^ĝeššurman" used for building material*
[wooden chariot "^ĝešgigir" and wooden wagon "^ĝešmar"]
- produces bronze alloy "zabar" from copper "urud" and tin "anna"*
- produces and exports bronze arms from bronze "zabar"
bronze Armor "urudakar", bronze battle-axes "gešzahada", bronze battle-maces "ĝešhaš", bronze spears "urudimittum" bronze shield " kušduksium and bronze swords "urudĝirii"
- produces and exports Jewelry "^natudur"of silver "kug" and gold "kugsig"with lapis lazuli "^nazagin", carnelian "^nagug", marcasite "^namarhuša" and turquoise "^nadušia"*
30 stone-cutters ^"na"X"dim"
30 smiths "simug"
30 metal workers "tibira"
60 carpenters "nagar"
90 laborers "gurush"

Wharf Potter's Hall (60)
- produces and exports clay clay pipes "dugarutum", clay sling shots "imdug", mudbricks "šeg" and Pottery"dug"*
20 potters: "bahar"
40 Female laborers "geme"






　
　
The Village "eduru" (3,000) [220 men / 380 women]
Town "zig" (60)
3 fishing dock (60)
6 farms (60)

The Town "zig" (60)
Town Hall (10)
1 village mayor "hazanum"
1 adviser "saĝar"
1 civil Secretary "sukkal"
1 Tax-collectors "enkud"
1 accountant "lu’imnak"
2 constable "galla"
3 conscripted laborers "gurush"

Town Tavern (20)
20 female tavern workers "gene"

Town fortified garrison tower "anzagar" made of basalt "adbar" (30)
produce Fish "ku" and Duck "uzmušen"
1 captain "ugulla"
1 exorcist: "mumunĝal"
1 scout "igibarra"
1 siege weapon engineer "luigi-ĝal" w/ 1 siege weapon "^ĝešigi-ĝal "
20 soldiers "erin"
36 fisherman conscripted as a soldier: "lunigdab"


3 Fishing Docks (60)
- produces and exports Fish "ku"
- produces Duck "uzmušen"
- produces reed matts"gibandul", reed rafts "gidirig" , reed shelters "gidimuš " and reed fuel bundles "gigaradin".(300 bundles/shekel) from reeds "gi"
- produces gathered wild mushrooms "uzudirig" and elderberries "girim"
10 fishermen "lušukud" produce Fish "ku" and Duck "uzmušen"
10 reed workers "adkid"
40 Female laborers "geme"


6 Farms (60)
- Produces and exports*
Grains :Barley "še"
Vegetables: garlic "šum-sar" and onions "sum-sikil"
Fruit: date-palms "ĝešĝešhimmar" and pomegranate "nurma"
Nuts: pistachio "lamtur, Almonds "lam" and Walnut "lamgal"

20 farmers "ensik"
40 Female laborers "geme"

　

[ummia-inim-gina]

Trade partners
The city has 5 trade partners [50 households, totaling 3,000]


Guotan Shepherds
10 Tribes
600 shepherds "sipad"

Trades labor and materials for blankets and winter clothing
wool "udu"



Southern Coastal Fishing Tribes
600 Marshland Barbarians "naĝah"

Trades various goods
Salt Water Fish "ku"
large turtles "gu-la"
Bitumen "ikura" "esir"
Salt "mun"



Martu Trade Caravans
120 Martu merchant, businessmen "ibira"
480 Maru lumberjacks "lutir"

Trades Wood
boxwood "^ĝeštaškarin" hard wood used for tool and weapon handles
cedar "^ĝešeren" used for building material
cypress "^ĝeššurman" "^ĝeššurmen" "^ĝešta'e" used for ship production
poplar "^ĝešasal" "^ĝešildag" used to build wooden furniture
tamarisk "^ĝeššinig" used as fuel

Trades Spices
asafoetide (Akk: "surb"i)
fennel (Akk: "an/ddahšu)
hyssop (Akk: "zupu")
thyme (Akk: "zamburu")




Trade caravan from Der carrying Metal from Elam
120 Deritte merchant, businessmen "ibira"
480 Elamite Miners "luna"


Trades Metals
copper "urud" used for agricultural equipment
tin "anna" combined with copper to make bronze "zabar"
silver "kug" used to make jewelery
gold "kuzen" "kugsig" used to make jewelry




Ships from Dilmun carrying foreign Stones from Meluḫḫa
120 Dilmunite merchant, businessmen "ibira"
480 Meluḫḫa Miners "luna"

Trades Stones "na"
Building Stones
basalt: "adbar"
a common extrusive volcanic rock usually grey to black that is primarily used for building
diorite: "^naesi"
a grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock. It was used mainly for sculptures but also beads, amulets, and pendants
gypsum: "imbabbar" mohs: 1.5 to 2
a soft, colorless to white mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate. It is common sometimes used for fuller's earth,.beads, pendants, and seals. Occasionally used for building and brewing.
alabaster (a form of Gypsum) "^naĝešnu" / "^naĝešnugal"
a precious white stone that was used for statues and art.

Ornamental stones
carnelian "^nagug" mohs: 6 - 7
a reddish-brown mineral which is commonly used in jewlry.
lapis Lazuli "^nazagin" mohs: 5-5.5
a blue semi-precious stone that was commonly used in jewlry
marcasite: "^namarhuša" mohs: 6-6.5
a brass Yellow mineral similar to pyrite but much lighter and more brittle.
turquoise "^nadušia"
an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum. Used as an ornamental stone.

[ummia-inim-gina]

City-State Exports

- Pottery"dug"*
- Huge sized Pots of Agricultural Exports
Barley flour "še"
garlic "šum-sar"
onions "sum-sikil"
dates "ĝešĝešhimmar"
pomegranate "nurma"
mushrooms "uzudirig"
elderberries "girim"
fresh water Fish "ku"
Coriander "še-lù" "kisibirru"
Cumin "zibum"
Licorice root "ĝeš-šeš"
Fennel "u-ranna"
Mint "gazi"

- Huge sized Pots of Beer for Export
- Beer"kaš"

- Huge sized Pots of Sesame seed oil for Export
- Sesame seed "išeĝeš"

- Huge sized Pots of Linen Clothing for Export
- Linen Clothing "gada"

- Finished Wooden and Metal Industrial products for Export
bronze Armor "urudakar",
bronze battle-axes "gešzahada",
bronze battle-maces "ĝešhaš",
bronze spears "urudimittum"
bronze shield " kušduksium
bronze swords "urudĝirii"
copper adzes "urudgiĝ",
copper axes "urudhazin",
copper hoes "urudhabuda"
copper shovels "urudmar"
wooden boxwood buckets "ĝešešla"
wooden boxwood ladders "ĝešgalam"
wooden boxwood mallets "ĝešekidma"
wooden boxwood seeder plows "ĝešnumungar"
wooden poplar beds "ĝešnud",
wooden poplar chairs "ĝešguza"
wooden poplar tables "ĝešbanšur"

[ummia-inim-gina]

City-State Imports

salt water Fish "ku"
large turtles "gu-la"
bitumen "ikura" "esir"
salt "mun"
Almonds "lam" /"ĝešlam" [tree]
pistachio "lamtur" / "ĝešlamtur" [tree]
Walnut "lamgal" / "ĝešlamgal" [tree]
asafoetide (Akk: "surb"i)
fennel (Akk: "an/ddahšu)
hyssop (Akk: "zupu")
thyme (Akk: "zamburu")
wool blankets and winter cloaks "udu"
boxwood "^ĝeštaškarin" hard wood used for tool and weapon handles
cedar "^ĝešeren" used for building material
cypress "^ĝeššurman" "^ĝeššurmen" "^ĝešta'e" used for ship production
poplar "^ĝešasal" "^ĝešildag" used to build wooden furniture
tamarisk "^ĝeššinig" used as fuel
copper "urud" used for agricultural equipment
tin "anna" combined with copper to make bronze "zabar"
silver "kug" used to make jewelery
gold "kuzen" "kugsig" used to make jewelry
basalt: "adbar"
diorite: "^naesi"
gypsum: "imbabbar"
alabaster (a form of Gypsum) "^naĝešnu" / "^naĝešnugal"
carnelian "^nagug"
lapis Lazuli "^nazagin"
marcasite: "^namarhuša"
turquoise "^nadušia"


gifts from the King
foreign jewelry from Meluḫḫait "^natudur"

[sheshki]

Wow, now that is very detailed preparation.
Maybe you could add nig₂-bun₂-na and ba-al-gi₄ (two kinds of turtles) to the imports.
They were grouped in gu-la (bigger, older) and banda₄ (smaller, younger)
I will cite my source for this later, have to search the pdf files.

[ummia-inim-gina]

Awesome, thank you so much for the participation/feedback Sheshki! I just added large turtles "gu-la" to the list of goods imported from the "Southern Coastal Fishing Tribes" that the city imports it's salt water fish from. I figured they would probably want to import the larger sized ones.

[ummia-inim-gina]

The first export that I am going to look into is Barley, the largest component of the city's agricultural production.


Barley v.s. Wheat
First off, here is a summary on why I went with Barley as the staple grain grown by the city-state over wheat. The following notes on Barley production are extracted from "Mesopotamian Civilization: The Material Foundations" by D. T. Potts. I have taken more detailed notes from this title in the past which can be accessed in the lexical assemblage section on the board.

"The preference to Barley over wheat is accredited to higher yields and greater salt tolerance. Barely accounted for over 98% of the crops grown the year Shulgi 47. Barley ripens two or three weeks earlier than wheat allowing it to avoid rust causing greater yields. Even though barley is salt tolerant it increases the salt level"

and then also

"When compared to Barely wheat was scarcely cultivated in southern Mesopotamia. For example, only 1.7 percent of the land at Girsu in the year Shulgi 47 was given over to emmer. Only 0.15 percent of the land was given over to "gig" (possibly free wheats)"
"Mesopotamian Civilization: The Material Foundations" by D. T. Potts.

The distinction of only being able to be grown in soil where salinity is not a problem seems to have lead to a certain prestige around growing Wheat over Barley in Mesopotamia. A Proverb Sumerian proverb references the difficulty of growing Wheat over Barley: 'Since the beggar does not even know how to sow barley, what kind of wheat can he possibly sow ? ' (Gordon, Sumerian proverbs, 2.15-2.19).

In D. C. Snell's book "Ledgers and prices: Early Mesopotamian Merchant Accounts" he goes into detail on this often referencing the the work of Thorkild Jacobson who wrote quite a bit on the topic. After citing several economic texts on grain production Snell concludes:
"In any case, Jacobsen's conclusions are not substantially altered by these additional attestations, since cultivation patterns favored barley and emmer over wheat. A good example of the ratio occurs in a text not utilized by Jacobsen, namely "Texts Sumerians de la III Dynastie d' Ur" (1976) No.50 rev II 1-3 which gives the total yields as 2506 gur 234 sila Barley (She), 104 gur 270 sila emmer (ziz), but only 1 gur 180 sila wheat (gig), indicating already in the Ur III period the substantial preference for barley in Umma." "Ledgers and prices: early Mesopotamian Merchant Accounts" by D. C. Snell (Yale, 1982).

I find it interesting the way Snell words the distinction between Emmer (Triticum dicoccum) and domesticated Einkorn Wheat (Triticum boeoticum). Although it is Einkorn Wheat (Sumerian "gig") that is the ancestor to the modern bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) that most of us modern westerners would call wheat, all of the literature that have I read in my days as a baker (my previous profession) always used the terminology "Einkorn Wheat" and "Emmer Wheat." A moot point of me to make considering the Sumerians obviously saw them as completely separate grains but I find it noteworthy the way Snell went about making the distinction.



Yield ratios
On the topic of Barley yield quantities by the Kilogram Potts states the following:
"Oates states "With a minimum acceptable cereal yield of 550 kg per hectare on a simple fallow system of one to four years and a diet supplemented by hunting, fishing and gathering such as the evidence from all early sites attest, the land requirement would be about one and a half hectares of cultivable land per head of population. A six person family would probably consume no more than 600 kg in a year which would leave plenty ; left over for seed and spoilage even using Oates ultra-conservative estimate of 550 kg/ha., Poyck’s mildly conservative figure of 720 kg/ha., Iraqi governments figure of 800 kg/ha. or Adams very high Diyala yields of almost 1400 kg/ha."

One distinction that I feel should have been made by Potts is that Joan Oates "ultra-conservative estimate" is worded as "minimum acceptable yield" where as the other numbers cited here are modern projections of what a typical yield would have been.

On the requirement of land for such a yield Potts references the work of Maekawa (that appears in a 1984 Journal article that I do not have access to)

"If we consider yields during the very well documented Ur III period we find the average yield was 30 gur (9, 000 L) per bur (6.48 ha.) or 1, 388 l. per ha. (Maekawa 1984:85)"

I found this nice tool for Volume to Weight conversion that has the density of Barley making it easy to convert the two forms of measurement back and forth:

www.aqua-calc.com/calculate/volume-to-weight

Potts continues on Barley:
"If we round the 1, 388 l. per ha. up to 1, 400 l. per ha. and if we recall the amount of seed required per bur then a 1400 l. yield per ha. represents a yield of 1:30 (1, 400 sila/ha = c. 1, 000 kg/ha.) and even higher yields (up to 1:76) are attested in the pre-Sargonic era (Maekawa 1984:85)"
Utilizing the numbers presented above from various sources let us look at what our base unit of 60 farmers would produce and how much land their farm would take up.
As shown above Oats estimated that an individual Sumerian farmer could work up to "one and a half hectares of cultivable land per head of population. " In keeping with the size of a Sumerian "bur" I am going to go with a more conservative 6 farmers per bur (6.48 hec). So farmers in this city-state work a little less than the farmers of Umma during the UrIII period. So I am going to go with these figures for the model:



For purposes of this city-state I am going to go with the expected 30 gur per bur ratio
60 farmers working a field of 10 bur would produce 300 gur Barley a year.

1 Gur equals approximately 413 lbs. or 188 kilograms in weight.

[ummia-inim-gina]

Now that we have established a standard of productivity for our staple crop Barley, let us look next into the staple fruit of Mesopotamia, the date.

First here are some bulletins on what Potts mentions about dates:

Dates Palms (Phoenix dactylifera) "giš-gišimmar"
- No other plant that grows in a sub-tropical zone is as salt tolerant as the date-palm
- Mesopotamian gardens were composed of three stories. The upper-story was the tallest of the trees, the date-palm. The middle-story was other shorter fruit bearing trees. On the ground was the cereals.
- Dates are a good source for carbohydrates and calcium. They also contain vitamins A, B, and D. The flesh of a date is 75% sugar and they can be eaten in both there fresh (uhim) or dried (zulum) form. Dates have been grown since at least the ubaid period.


This information presented is for modern Date production however unlike cereal production where modern agricultural techniques have greatly increased the efficiency of production, modern date-palm's fruit production has not immensely changed in productivity in comparison. However as you will see below how many trees planted per hec does vary greatly.

The following information on Date yield has been taken Purdue University’s College of Agriculture
www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/date.html#Yield


"In Tunisia, in former times, it was customary to plant 200 date palms per acre (500/ha). Today, optimum density is considered to be 50 per acre (120/ha) and this is about the standard in the Coachella Valley of California, but small-growing palms may be set much closer. The off shoots, trimmed back 1/3 or 1/4, leaving some of the stiff outer leaves to protect the inner ones, are usually planted 30 to 33 ft (9-10 m) apart each way. The holes should be 3 ft (0.9 m) wide and deep, prepared and enriched several months in advance, and may be encircled by a watering ditch. If the soil dries out prior to planting, the holes are filled with water at that time. In Algeria and Oman, the palms may be set much deeper in order to be closer to ground water, but this may result in drowning the palms when irrigating or they may be smothered by sandstorms.
Planting may be done at any time of year, but most often takes place in spring or fall. In Tunisia planting is done in April and May. The base is set vertically in the ground and the curving fronds will gradually assume an upright position, especially if the concave side is set to face south. Most plants will root in 2 months if the soil is kept constantly moist, while some may be delayed for a year or even several years before they show vigorous growth. Some growers expect a loss of 25% of the off shoots. Formerly, the young plants in nursery rows were wrapped nearly to the top with old leaves, paper or burlap sacks for the first year to prevent dehydration by cold, heat or wind. But it is now held that such wrapping interferes with the proper development of the leaves.
The offshoots that survive may begin to bloom in 3 years and fruit a year later but a substantial crop is not possible before the 5th or 6th year. In 8 or 10 years, the date will attain full production and it will keep on for a century though productivity declines after 60 to 80 years and also the flowers will be too high to pollinate and the fruits too high to pick. The palm grows at the rate of 1 to 11/2 ft (30-45 cm) a year and can reach 20 ft in 15 to 20 years depending on the cultivar and soil and water conditions.
In Iraq, date palms are fertilized once a year with manure at the rate of 44 lbs (20 kg) per tree. Commercial fertilizers are utilized in Saudi Arabia and the United States. Of more importance is the supply of water, a large amount being necessary and it is usually supplied by irrigation ditches. In some Old World plantations rising tides cause rivers to flood the ditches twice a day. Where this natural irrigation does not occur, the palms are watered 15 to 40 times a year. Overhead moisture (including rain) during fruit development will cause minute cracks (checking), beginning at the apex of the fruit which ultimately darkens. In California, the fruit clusters are covered with paper bags to shelter them from rain, dust, and predators.
The female inflorescences may be shortened, thinned out, or some removed entirely at pollinating time, or several weeks later when the stalk has drooped lower, in order to conserve the palm's energy for the following season. Some growers advise leaving no more than 12 bunches per palm. Many leave only 30 strands per cluster, each with about 30 fruits. Without thinning, fruits would be borne only every other year. During the pollinating operation, a grower may tie the elongating flower stalk to a palm frond to prevent breaking when later laden with fruit.
The palms are pruned twice a year, dry fronds being removed in the fall and the leaf bases may be taken off in the spring in order that their fiber may be used as a substitute for coir
In Iraq, growth regulators have been experimentally applied to developing dates. In 'Zahdi' and 'Sayer', naphthaleneacetic acid, at 60 ppm, applied 15 to 16 weeks after pollination, improved quality and increased fruit weight by 39%. Moisture content was elevated. Ripening was delayed for 30 days or more.
In the Old World, most date plantations are intercropped with vegetables, cereals or fodder crops in the first few years and subsequently with low growing fruit trees or grapevines. Some authorities hold that this practice distracts the grower from proper care of the dates. In mechanized plantations, intercropping is not possible inasmuch as space must be left for the mobile equipment.

Ordinarily, in palms 5 to 8 years old, the first crop will be 17.5 to 22 lbs (8-10 kg) per palm; at 13 years, 132 to 176 lbs (60-80 kg). Some improved cultivars, at high densities, have yielded over 220 lbs (100 kg) per year. 'Deglet Noor' in California may yield 4.5 to 7 tons per acre (11-17 tons/ha).
"



This city-state is utilizing the typical three stage system of agriculture with Date-Palms as the third stage planted along with Pomegranate as the second level and Barley rotated with fallow fields and other desalinizing crops (Garlic and Onions).


I have seen the figure of 50 Date-Palms per acre (120 per hec) for during historical periods consistently enough in sources not worth taking the time to note, that I feel comfortable with utilizing this ubiquitous figure. This gives us a density of 777.6 Date-Palms per bur and thus 77,760 Date-Palms on a farm of 100 bur. Figures I am encountering for an average yield per tree vary greatly. In his authoritative book on Dates "Feast of Dates" (Trident Press, 2002) D.T. Potts quotes V.H.W. Dowson, as stating 50 lbs. (22.67kg) as an average yield for dates. Utilizing this figure gives us 2,500 lbs (1,133.5 kg) dates per acre, exactly half of the 5,000 lbs per acre average world wide yield for date-palms listed with The United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics. This would convert to 458.711581 kg of dates per hectare.

60 farmers working a field of 10 bur would produce approx. 280,000 kg of Dates per year

[ummia-inim-gina]

Notes from: "An Interdisciplinary Overview of a Mesopotamian City and its Hinterlands" by Robert McC. Adams (Cuneiform Digital Library Journal
2008)


- Umma province is estimated (by Steinkeller) to have been on the order of 2,000 square kilometers in size (say, 40 x 50 kms or 25 x 30 miles),


- Not merely for Umma but for the whole communicating network of cities, the Umma archives supply by far our best records (Steinkeller 2001). Numerous consignments of mixed cargoes, typically in the 25 to as much as 50 ton range per vessel, moved in roundtrip journeys taking up to a month or so around the network of great southern Mesopotamian cities, under the motive power (when not traveling downstream) of a half-dozen or so workmen for each one.


- The recorded area of what is characterized as provincial domain land cultivated for barley, under the direct control of the ensi2, is generally given as about 785 bur3 (4,984 hectares). Held in reserve for alternate years in fallow was the same amount. Allotment land was also part of the domain, amounting to 680 bur3 (4,318 ha.).


- The limited scale of cultivated land in the province, at least as recorded in the archive, must be emphasized. Even allowing for fields held in fallow, out of an approximate total area of 2,000 km2 only about 127 km2 or 7 percent (Dahl 2007: 36) were recorded as in use.


- Excluding the harvest itself, we have records of the allocations and division of labor for most of this process. These permit us to determine the number of “man-days” per hectare needed for major categories of work, e.g., planting, harrowing, clodbreaking, etc. (Maekawa 1990: 124, tables 2-7).

- Roughly 9,000 ha of barley cultivation (aggregating šuku and domain) under the authority of the ensi2 would in any case have required more than 170,000 man-days at 19 per hectare. This amounts to 24,000 man-days per month, even if evenly divided throughout the seven-month growing season—and the greater part of the effort would have been needed in the early months. If we accept the recorded estimates, there must have been a full-time provincial agricultural workforce of around a thousand or more available during the growing season. With only half-time corvée assignments available, this becomes 2,000 erin2, with their families an additional multiple of from 3 to 5.

- Girsu-Lagash was probably 3-4 times larger than Umma in population and area, although its territory remains very vaguely defined. It not only cultivated roughly four times as much barley in spite of having extensive marshes and a large workforce of fishermen, but also supported herds of sheep two and half times larger than Umma’s.


- Nicholas Postgate, a participant in the winter 2007 meeting, who re-examined this issue in an important 1994 paper, heavily discounted the notion of a single average density figure and made a strong case for the existence of a four-fold range of variation (specifically from 248 to 1,204 inhabitants per hectare) (1994: 64) on the basis of excavated data alone.


- I have tried to outline, the population of the city of Umma alone appears not to have been much in excess of 15,000 to 20,000 or so at most, with a considerably smaller number in subordinate towns and villages or hamlets. As to the unreported population stratum mentioned earlier engaged in a more variegated range of, collecting, extractive, and smaller-scale agricultural activities in the hinterlands, little more than a guess at this point would be at around a tenth of this number. And for the unknown number of garrisons and royal estates, some of the latter possibly of very considerable size, that were scattered throughout the province, we must await further familiarization with Piotr Steinkeller’s reported sources before hazarding a guess.


- Specifically turning to the city of Umma, Adams and Nissen estimated the size of the elevated area of the site to be 1,500 meters in diameter (1972: site 197). Absent elevation data, site limits are not evident in a new and remarkable satellite image (figure 2), but at higher resolution can be roughly defined by the perimeters of recent clandestine digging. The heavy overlay of dunes makes this subject to considerable error, but if one assumes that an area if this size was uniformly occupied by 20,000 people its density would have been about 113 persons per hectare. The large harbor, perhaps 14 ha in extent, that is visible in the satellite imagery and the suggestion of unoccupied central space accompanying public buildings there immediately elevate this densite estimate for residential areas.


- Moreover, the records were at least honest enough to make clear that the sought-for standard of “30 gur per bur3” (ca. 1500 liters/hectare, an idealized 30-for-one multiple of yield-over-seed proportion) was on the order of 50 percent (and very often more) above what was ordinarily achieved.


- bur3 land measurement unit, 6.35 ha.

[ummia-inim-gina]

Upon reviewing the statistics for the city-state of Umma during the Ur III period I decided to reduce the population of this by 1/5 today. This reduced the population of the city-state from the previous 45,000 to a much easier to work with 9,000.
I had intended this to be a small city with a specialized agricultural economy supplemented with an ample fishing industry. In a larger city-state I would have to deal with a greater diversity of economic activities. For instance I intentionally left out any domestic animal exports that would have normally been a major part of the economic activity in a city-state like this. The only domestic animals the city utilizes are unrecorded numbers of dogs and oxen used for agricultural tasks. These animals are bred by the agricultural households and are not normally traded so I don't see a need to keep track of them except for expenditures of fodder. Animal products like wool blankets and winter clothing are obtained from trade with nomadic shepherds.
Another thing that separates this fictional economy from the city-states of the well documented Ur III period is that it is not part of the Ur state and so it does not exist in the bala system of taxation. I am taking into consideration that this city-state does however serve as a vassal to a greater city-state. I am utilizing a far simpler system of tribute than the Ur III state for this city though. The ensi is expected to send 1/6 of his tax revenues as gift to the lugal. He also is required to keep enough of the city-state conscripted as to provide security from invaders and still be able to keep mobilized 180 fighting men to serve in the lugal's military campaigns at his command.

[ummia-inim-gina]

While the greater diversity of vegetables is grown in the temple gardens, the villages grow onions and garlic. Potts states: "The cultivation period was the same as cereals. Seeding commonly took place between Sept. and Dec. and harvest in April/May. Yield varied according to onion type, the average lying between six and eight liters per 100 sq.m"

A 10 bur (63.5 hec) field would be 63,500 sq.m. and thus produce 3,810 to 5,080 liters of onions.

For purposes of this model I am going to utilize the figure that:
- a 10 bur field produces 4,800 liters of onions (16 gur) and an additional 900 liters (3 gur) of garlic.

[ummia-inim-gina]

Finding good statistics on the productivity of fishermen is far more difficult than finding information on agricultural yields. This is understandable due to the huge range of variability based on a large number of factors such as the river being fished, the fishing techniques used and the density of the fish population at the time. That being said some arbitrary decision making must be involved in assigning a yearly productivity ratio. Based off of what I been reading I am going utilize the following ratio:

"A household of 10 fishermen could catch 12,000 small (20oz.) catfish a year."

Note that the meat yielded after the fish are filleted is typically about 40% weight of the catfish.

[ummia-inim-gina]

Utilizing the information above we can summarize the annual accounted productivity of each of the villages of 600 people as follows:

36,000 Catfish (20oz.) (yields 40% meat or 72,000 8oz fillets) [1/60 shekel each]
900 Gur Barley [2 shekels per gur]
72 Gur Dates [ 5 shekels per gur]
36 Gur Onions [10-30 shekels per gur]
18 Gur Mushrooms [12 shekels per gur]
9 Gur Garlic [10-32 shekels per gur]
3 Gur Pomegranate [8 shekels per gur]
2 Gur Elderberries [36 shekels per gur]
1 Gur pistachio [8 shekels per gur]
1 Talent Almonds [8 shekels per gur]
1 Talent Walnut [8 shekels per gur]
9,000 Reed Bundles [1/300 shekel per bundle]
36 Ducks [1/12 shekel each]

[ummia-inim-gina]

Beer production

Beer is produced from water, malted grains, yeast and in modern times hops. The ancient Mesopotamians did not have hops so we will not be working with the last ingredient in this economic model.
The yeast (Saccharomyces cervisiae) is grown on Barley. Like other yeasts, brewer's yeast will ferment carbohydrates when it comes into contact with them, forming a froth of carbon dioxide which can ferment grains into beer. Typically you want around 8-15 lbs (4-7 Kg) base malt per 5 gallons (29 L), depending on the type of beer you're brewing. So 1 gur (300 L) of Barley could produce malt for around 250 gallons (946 L) of beer. I currently cannot find any information on how much barley is consumed producing Saccharomyces cervisiae, only that it is a "tiny amount."



This webpage has a lot of helpful information about the productivity ratios of different brewing systems:
specificmechanical.com/products-services/brewery-systems/system-sizing

Utilizing the above from the above webpages a brew pub using a 10 Barrels (bbls) system, brewing 3 brews a week, 50 weeks a year, would produce 1500 barrels a year. 1 U.S. Barrel is equal to 31 gallons. So a brewpub this size would be producing 46,500 Gallons or 176,021.65 liters a year.




This next webpage had a lot of interesting insights on microbreweries however most of it is in regards to the modern economy.
www.soundbrew.com/projectnotes.html

One detail it discussed that is relevant is the amount of space required. Reviewing the figures from this page the brewing system for a brewpub the size described above would take up 1,700 sq. feet and it would be recommended that the brewpub be 4,000 to 5,000 sq. feet.



This paper is quite old now (1950) however it is still what I am seeing scholars cite when referencing Sumerian beer production:

"O
n Beer and Brewing Techniques in Ancient Mesopotamia" by Louis F. Hartman and A. L. Oppenheim, from
the
Supplement to the Journal of the American Oriental Society (Number 10, December 1950)
sidurisadvice.com/Hartman.pdf



Here is the most recently published article on Sumerian Beer found at the Cuneiform Digital Library Journal:
Sumerian Beer: The Origins of Brewing Technology in Ancient Mesopotamia by Peter Damerow
cdli.ucla.edu/pubs/cdlj/2012/cdlj2012_002.html




From what I am reading about very small scale home breweries making all grain beers three people could have easily brewed 20 gallons of beer a day (probably a lot more but at least 20) which would add up to 7,300 gallons a year. I'm not sure if this is in keeping with historical accounts though. I need to find more statistics on historical beer production ratios.

*The numbers I am going to utilize for this is this city-state are as follows. The Brewery could produce sixty 30 sila clay beer vats per batch and 120 of such batches a year. 1/3 of the amount Barley is consumed by the process.

A Brewery of 60 Brewers, supplemented by 150 female laborers could produce 720 Gur (216,000 l, about 57,000 gallons) of Beer. per year. This would consume 240 Gur (72,000 l) of Barley.

The Barley could be purchased for a Gur per Shekel of silver. The Beer could be sold for 2 Gur per shekel of silver. The Brewery would thus consume 240 shekels of Barley to produce 360 shekels of beer.

[ummia-inim-gina]

These pottery production numbers are from "Mesopotamian Civilization: The Material Foundations" by D. T. Potts

mudbricks "šeg" 1/100 days
clay tablet "dub" 1/60 days
beer mug "dugpihu" 1 sila, 1/30 days
beer jug "dugKaš" 5 sila, 1/6 days
vat for storing beer/dough "duglahtan" 30 sila, 1 labor day


In a year the 30 potters attached to the brewery could produce:

43,200 beer jugs "dugKaš" (5 sila) which would take 20 potters
This would be nessessary to export the 720 gur of beer produced by the brewery. The other 10 potters produce:
180,000 mudbricks "šeg" 5 potters
43,200 clay tablet "dub" 2 potters
10,800 drinking tubes "gi-nig-kaš-šur-ra" 1 potter
10,800 beer mugs "dugpihu" (1 sila) 1 potter
360 vats for storing beer/dough "duglahtan" 30 sila,1 potter

[ummia-inim-gina]

Notes on Arugula production (modern)
Arugula (arrugula) is a tangy mustard green, also known as Rocket, Mediterranean Salad, Rucola or Roquette in Europe, also as Gharghir by people in the Middle East. Arugula is now popular as a gourmet salad green.

SOIL
Arugula may be grown on a wide range of soil types. Loose fertile loams, and muck soils are best. Soils should provide good water holding capacity and good internal drainage, and a pH of 6.0-7.0. Since arrugula may be harvested late into the fall, soils should be chosen that allow harvest in moderately rainy conditions

SEEDING
Arugula performs best under cool temperatures and is therefore grown from seed in early spring or late fall (plant as early in the spring as possible). Stagger plantings once or twice per week, planting only what can be harvested, bunched and sold during that interval. Arugula can withstand light frosts.

SPACINGS
Rows should be 12-15 inches apart, with plants 6-9 inches apart in the row. Spacing depends on cultivar and crop being grown. Close spacings cover the ground quickly and reduce risk of soil contamination of the product from rain or irrigation splashing.

IRRIGATION
Arugula requires a uniform supply of water for tender growth. Frequent irrigations are preferred because of shallow rooting. A total of 8-12 inches of water may be necessary depending on seasonal variation, variety and planting date.

Soil type does not affect the amount of total water needed, but does dictate frequency of water application. Lighter soils need more frequent water applications, but less water applied per application.

HARVESTING
The crop is generally ready to harvest 6-7 weeks after seeding in the field. Yields are approximately 800-1000 cartons per acre.



Notes on Turnip production (modern)

The turnip is a biennial cool-season crop that is grown
commercially as an annual. Turnips grow best at temperatures
ranging from 50° to 65°F (10° to 18.3°C)

Turnips are harvested 70 to 80 days after seeding, when
the roots reach 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) in diameter.
Roots are hand harvested and most are topped (leaves
and crown are removed from the storage root). In some
areas roots are commercially harvested along with
leaves for bunching.

An average yield is 700 to 800 sacks per acre. Each
sack contains 25 pounds (11.4 kg) of roots.



Notes on Leeks (modern)

Leek yields are approximately 370 cwt/acre. Leeks do not bulb or go dormant in the fall but continue to grow slowly. The time of harvest is, therefore, very flexible, depending on the time of planting, market conditions, and variety of leek planted. Small leeks can be sold starting in early August, and varieties that have frost tolerance may be harvested throughout the fall and winter months.




Notes on Cucumbers (modern)

Yields of 2,000 to 3,000 cartons per
acre (4,940 to 7,410 cartons/ha) (25 to 40 tons/acre [56,000 to 89,600 kg/ha])

[us4-he2-gal2]

Ummia:





These are indeed very careful and unusually detailed plans for a work of fiction. Of course by insisting on such historical consistency, you end up knowing as much or more about your focuses than people who deal with Mesopotamia in a non-fiction capacity. You certainly know more than I do about the economy and professions and so on


As far as Mesopotamian cities go, I am learning about this in my Mesopotamian archaeology class. I suppose our knowledge of the Sumerian city suffers alot from incomplete excavations (the vast majority of digs have focused on the temple or palace architecture), and from mistakes made by early excavators.


A recent visit to the site of Girsu in 2013 by Carrie Hritz and Clemens Reichel has resulted in an interesting discovery - as they walked the area of the site and measured it again, they found the actual area of Girsu is some four times the size that the French estimated it to be almost 100 years ago - it is actually some 400 hectares. This puts the site of Girsu in the ED period around the size of Uruk at its largest extent. This indicates the a considerable different power dynamic than has been theorized to date, and also the scale of mistakes that have been made. As for domestic architecture, one of the few instances I know of where a team had excavated housing and street plans etc. of a Sumerian city is the Chicago team Eshnunna (Tell Asmar) where they uncovered an Early Dynastic neighborhood of houses that have become an important template for the Sumerian house.


One thing I learned about the e2-gal this year and I wasn't fully aware of before, is that the first definitive secular and monumental architecture in Mesopotamia (that is, the first palace) doesn't emerge until the EDIIIa period, around 2500. This is Palace A in Kish, and the palace at Eridu (it isn't certain whether the latter is even a palace however). The palace or "big house" is like the house in layout, in that it has an enclosed entrance way which opens on to large open courtyard which then leads to other rooms (throne rooms in the case of a palace). It is like a temple in that it has monumental architecture, niched walls etc. But palaces were sometimes reused, or converted into economic production centers after a time, whereas temples can never be reused or converted.


I am working on a paper due in one month which discusses the en, ensi and lugal in relation to the material evidence (the depiction of Sumerian rulers in art, on cylinder seals, and the emergence of secular architecture such as palaces). So far I have some good leads, and the excellent enenuru thread here on the topic, but have yet to chart it all out. Best of luck with your upcoming project!

[ummia-inim-gina]

Thank you

[ummia-inim-gina]

I am working on this in preparation for my next story which is going to follow a young scribe who becomes the accountant of a local lord. Like with my last story I intend to tell it not only using narratives but also other traditional Mesopotamian literary styles such as economic texts, inscriptions and divination texts.

At first I was going to write the story in a real historical city-state but then I realized how problematic this task would be even in an economy as well documented as Umma. In order to make the undertaking completely accurate one would have to understand many economic activities that are poorly documented while dealing with large numbers of variables that interact with areas of the economy that are very well documented. That would be cumbersome and it does not allow the author much artistic control while remaining historically accurate. It just makes more sense to locate the story in a fictional city-state were I have more control within a certain believable range.

As can be seen above the city-states economy is agricultural communities growing barley to support a lord whose sole economic interest other than taxation is his brewery. I am thinking of naming the city "bad-lubappir" or "The City (Fortress) of Brewers". Since I am writing my stories a little further back in history each time, this story is going to take place in the beginning of the Isin period during "Year after the year Ishbi-Irra the king, brought out of Ur, with his strong weapon, the Elamite who was dwelling in its midst" in the twenty eighth year of the reign of Ishbi-Irra [approx. 1991 BCE].

At first I was going to go even further back however this locates the story late enough to where I wont have to deal with the many complications that would be involved with the Ur III bala system or the partially documented Sargonic economy.

I am thinking I am going to locate the fictional city somewhere further north from Umma where land is less documented but still within the southern Mesopotamian territory newly acquired by the King of Isin who the lord must answer to. Perhaps in between Adab and Karkar.

[ummia-inim-gina]

Notes on Spices (modern)

Cumin:
crop can yield 5 to 12 quintals of seed per hectare

Coriander:
Ready for harvest in 35 days
Seed rate: 10 kg/ acre
Yield per acre: 6000 to 8000 bunche

Licorice Root
The production cycle for licorice is 3-4 years: after one year of raising the seedling in the nursery, it is grown for 2-3 years in the field to yield a mature root. Expected yields are about 500-700 kg of air-dried roots per mu (about 3000-4000 kg per acre).

Fennel Seed:
Fennel seed is planted by the grower at depths of approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inches primarily on 40-42 inch raised beds with 2 seedlines per bed. The general growth period from planting to harvesting for direct seeded fennel ranges of 90 to 160 days; and 110-125 days for transplanted fennel. Fennel bulbs of similar size are packed into fiberboard cartons. Depending on plant size, the cartons will contain either 18, 24, 30, or 36 fennel bulbs. The average weight of individual cartons ranges from 35 to 40 pounds. The yield of seeds may reach 1,338 to 1,784 pounds per acre (1,500 to 2,000 kg/ha),

Mint:
It has been estimated to yield from 4 to 5 tons per acre, from which 15 to 20 cwt. of dry should be obtained.

[ummia-inim-gina]

Utilizing the information above we can summarize the annual accounted productivity of each of the Temple of 600 people as follows:

Sesame Seed Oil 45 Gur (14 shekels per gur)
Corriander 54 Gur (12-24 shekels per gur)
Cumin 9 Gur (16-32 shekels per gur)
Arugula 90 Gur (9 shekels per gur)
Turnips 24 Gur (4 shekels per gur)
Leeks 12 Gur (9 shekels per gur0
Cucumber 1 Gur (9 shekels per gur)
Fennel seed 24 gur (8 shekels per gur)
Mint leaves (dried) 12 gur (24 shekels per gur)
Licorice root 12 gur (24 shekels per gur)
Lenin Garments 24,000 (1/6 shekel each)

[ummia-inim-gina]

An Artisan's Hall employing 240 people could reasonable manufacture the following in a year:

Metal and Wood Industrial goods
8 wooden chariots [6 shekels]2 men's labor
12 wooden wagons [16 shekels]8 men's labor
24 wooden beds [2 shekels]2 men's labor
30 suits of bronze Armor [24 shekels] 30 men men's labor
96 wooden tables [1 shekel]4 men's labor
240 wooden seeder plows [3 shekel]30 men's labor
288 wooden chairs [1/3 skekel]4 men's labor
480 wooden ladders [1/2 shekel]10 men's labor
1,800 adzes [1/25 shekels]3 men's labor
2,304 bronze battle-maces [1/12 shekel]8 men's labor
2,880 bronze battle-axes [1/10 skekels]12 men's labor
3,456 bronze spears 1/12 shekel]12 men's labor
5,760 shovels [1/20 shekels]12 men's labor
6,000 wooden mallets [1/25 shekels]10 men's labor
7,200 wooden shields [1/30 shekels]10 men's labor
8,640 wooden buckets [1/36 shekels]10 men's labor
9,000 hoes [1/25 shekels]15 men's labor

Jewelry [720 shekels]30 men's labor
100 silver ring [1 shekel]
60 silver rings with turqouises [2 shekels]
24 silver rings with marcasite [3 shekels]
24 silver rings with lapis lazuli [4 shekels]
24 silver braclets wtih lapis lazuli [6 shekels]
24 silver amulets with lapis lazuli [12 shekels]

[ummia-inim-gina]

These pottery production numbers are from "Mesopotamian Civilization: The Material Foundations" by D. T. Potts
sling shots "imdug" 1/600 days

mudbricks "šeg" 1/100 days,
small cup "dugtur" .25 sila, 1/120 days,
clay pot "dug"2 sila, 1/15 days,
small bowl "dugma-al-tum-tur".5 sila, 1/60 days,
meduim bowl "dugma-al-tum-muru" 1 sila, 1/30 days,
large bowl "dugma-al-tum-gal" 10 sila, 1/3 days,
clay pipes "dugarutum" 1 day,
medium basins "dugutul-muru" 30 sila, 1 days,
large basins "dugutul-gal" 60 sila, 2 days,



In a year the 60 pottery laborers at the City Wharf could produce:
432,000 sling shots "imdug" which would take 2 workers
129,600 clay pot "dug" 2 sila, which would take 24 workers
108,000 mudbricks "šeg" which would take 3 workers
86,400 small cup "dugtur" .25 sila, which would take 2 workers
43,200 small bowl "dugma-al-tum-tur".5 sila, which would take 2 workers
43,200 meduim bowl "dugma-al-tum-muru"1 sila, which would take 4 workers
4,320 large bowl "dugma-al-tum-gal"10 sila, which would take 4 workers
4,320 clay pipes "dugarutum" 1 day, which would take 12 workers
1,080 medium basins "dugutul-muru"30 sila, which would take 3 workers
1,080 large basins "dugutul-gal"60 sila, which would take 6 workers

[ummia-inim-gina]

A shipyard with 60 laborers could produce a medium to large sized boat built of cypress that could carry 30 crew and either 30 passengers or 30 Gur of cargo in a little less than a month. Annual production of such a ship yard could be as high as:

15 wooden boats ĝešma" valued at 120 shekels each

[ummia-inim-gina]

Prices at the Wharf Marketplace
1 gur = 300 liters
1 sila = 1 litter

1 minas = 1/2 kilogram (60 shekels)
1 shekel = 8 1/3 gram


metal exchange rates
1 minas unworked copper = 1/3 shekel of silver
1 minas worked copper 1/2 shekel of silver
100 shekels of unworked tin = 1 shekel of silver
1 1/2 shekels unworked silver = 1 shekel of silver
1 shekel of worked gold = 100 shekels of silver


Food Items
Salt (1 shekel of Silver per Gur)
Clay basins (30 sila) = 16 shekels of copper
Clay bowl lg.(10 sila) = 6 shekels of copper

Barley (2 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay basins lg. (60 sila) = 72 shekels of copper
Clay basins (30 sila) = 36 shekels of copper
Clay bowl lg. (10 sila) = 12 shekels of copper

Beer (3 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay beer storage vat (1 gur) = 540 shekels of copper
Clay beer jug (5 sila) = 9 shekels of copper

Onions (4 shekels of silver per gur)
Reed Basket (5 sila) = 12 shekels of copper

Turnips (4 shekels of silver per gur)
Reed Basket (5 sila) = 12 shekels of copper

Chickpeas (5 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Pot (2 sila) = 6 shekel of copper

Lentils (5 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Pot (2 sila) = 6 shekel of copper

Broad Beans (5 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Pot (2 sila) = 6 shekel of copper

Dates (5 shekels of silver per gur)
Reed Basket (5 sila) = 15 shekels of copper

Garlic (5 shekels of silver per gur)
Reed Basket (5 sila) = 15 shekels of copper

Radish (5 shekels of silver per gur)
Reed Basket (5 sila) = 15 shekels of copper

Arugula (10 shekels of copper per gur)
Reed Basket (5 sila) = 30 shekels of copper

Leeks (10 shekels of copper per gur)
Reed Basket (5 sila) = 30 shekels of copper

Wild Mushrooms (10 shekels of copper per gur)
Reed Basket (5 sila) = 30 shekels of copper

Corriander (10 shekels of copper per gur)
Clay Spice Jar (1/2 sila) = 3 shekels of copper

Cumin (10 shekels of copper per gur)
Clay Jar (1/2 sila) = 3 shekels of copper

Cucumber (15 shekels of silver per gur)
Reed Basket (5 sila) = 45 shekels of copper

Pomegranate (15 shekels of silver per gur)
Reed Basket (5 sila) = 45 shekels of copper

Nuts [Almond, Pistachios and Walnuts (15 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Pot (2 sila) = 45 shekels of copper

Herbal Tea Infusion [dried, mint, fennel seed and licorice root] (20 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Jar (1/2 sila) = 6 shekels of copper

Sesame Seed Oil (20 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Oil Vessel (1/2 sila) = 6 shekels of copper

Black Elderberry Syrup (30 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Jar (1/2 sila) = 9 shekels of copper

Duck Fat (60 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Oil Vessel (1/2 sila) = 18 shekels of copper

Pig Fat (200 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Oil Vessel (1/2 sila) = 60 shekels of copper

Catfish (40oz.) (yields 40% meat, two 8oz fillets) = 3 shekels of copper each

Duck = 40 shekels of copper each

Imported turtle = 60 shekels of copper each

Imported Turtle eggs (100 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Pot (1/2 sila) = 180 shekel of copper or 1 shekel of silver

imported Asafoetide (100 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Jar (1/2 sila) = 30 shekels of copper

imported Hyssop (100 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Jar (1/2 sila) = 30 shekels of copper

imported Thyme = (100 shekels of silver per gur)
Clay Jar (1/2 sila) = 30 shekels of copper



Pottery
Mudbricks = 1/100 shekel of silver
stack of 60 Mudbricks = 108 shekels of copper

Clay Sling Shot = 1/600 shekels
stack of of 60 shots = 18 shekels of copper

Clay Tablet = 1/60 shekels
stack of 10 blank tablets = 30 shekels of copper

Clay Drinking Tube = 1/30 shekels of copper

Clay Beer Mug (1 sila) = 3 shekels of copper

Clay Bowl (1 sila) = 3 shekels of copper

Clay Bowl lg. (10 sila) = 30 shekels of copper

Clay Figurine of the Deity An = 180 shekels of copper or 1 shekel of silver

Clay Smoking Pipes = 90 shekels of copper


Textiles
Lenin Shirt = 12 shekels of copper

Lenin Pants = 16 shekels of copper

Lenin Robes = 18 shekels of copper

Wool Winter Cloak = 90 shekels of copper

Wool Blanket (3kg) = 180 shekels of copper or 1 shekel of silver



Reed Products
Reed Torch = 1 shekel of copper

30 Bundles of reed = 18 shekels of copper

Reed Raft [3-6 men] = 360 shekels of copper or 2 shekel of silver


Metal Products
copper bowel = 18 shekels of copper


Jewelry
silver ring = 180 shekels of copper or 1 shekel of silver

silver rings with turquoise = 2 shekel of silver

silver rings with marcasite = 3 shekels of silver

silver rings with lapis lazuli = 4 shekels of silver

silver bracelets with lapis lazuli = 6 shekels of silver

silver amulets with lapis lazuli = 12 shekels of silver

gold ring with carnelian = 100 shekels of silver

gold amulet with carnelian = shekels of silver



Furniture
wooden chairs = 60 shekels of copper

wooden tables = 180 shekels of copper or 1 shekel of silver

wooden beds = 360 shekels of copper or 2 shekel of silver


Tools
wooden poles = 20 shekels of copper

wooden buckets = 5 shekels of copper

wooden ladders = 60 shekels of copper

wooden barrel (60 litters) = 180 shekels of copper or 1 shekel of silver

wooden chest = 360 shekels of copper or 2 shekel of silver


Agricultural Equipment
wooden mallets = 6 shekels of copper

adzes = 9 shekels of copper

hoes = 9 shekels of copper

pick = 12 shekels of copper

shovels = 12 shekels of copper

seeder plows = 540 shekels of copper or 3 shekel of silver



Armor
wooden Shields = 9 shekels of copper

Bronze Armor = 30 shekels of silver


Weapons
Bronze daggers = 10 shekels of copper

Bronze spears = 15 shekels of copper

Bronze battle-maces = 18 shekels of copper

Bronze battle-axes = 45 shekels of copper

imported Bronze sword = 36 shekels of silver



Siege Weapons
Battering Ram = 3 shekels of silver

Bitumen jug thrower = 70 shekels of silver



Vehicles
wooden Chariots = 6 shekels of silver

wooden Cart = 8 shekels of silver

wooden Wagons = 16 shekels of silver

wooden Boat [30-60 men] = 120 shekels of silver



Animals
Dog (guard and hunting) = 1-3 shekels of silver

Sheep = 2 shekels of silver

Goat = 2 shekels of silver

Donkey = 30 silver of silver

Ox = 40 shekels of silver



Misc.
Guitan Slave = 10-40 shekels of silver

Bitumen (75 shekels per gur)
clay pot (2 sila) = 90 shekels of copper

Bronze Oil Lamp = 360 shekels of copper or 2 shekel of silver



Rental Prices
Human Laborer 2 weeks per shekel of silver
wagon and driver 3 days per shekel of silver
boat with crew 2 days per shekel of silver
rent on a shop for 1/2 year per shekel of silver








Imported raw materials brought in through the wharf marketplace
boxwood - hard wood used for tool and weapon handles
cedar - used for building material
cypress - used for ship production
poplar - used to build wooden furniture
tamarisk - used as fuel
copper - used for agricultural equipment
tin - combined with copper to make bronze
silver - used to make jewelery
carnelian - used to make jewelery
lapis Lazuli - used to make jewelery
marcasite: - used to make jewelery
turquoise - used to make jewelery
basalt:- used in construction
diorite - used in construction
gypsum: - used in construction
alabaster (a form of Gypsum) - used to make statues