The DOI matches its Crossref record; 5 of the 5 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 19 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
First account of a birthday in human history
Open accessAbstract
The article deals with the five Old Sumerian cuneiform texts from the city of Lagash made during the time of Lugalanda (24th century BC). It is established that there is the first mentioning of holiday on the occasion of people’s birthday in the history of writing.
Overview
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Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
The paper argues that five Old Sumerian tablets from Lagash, dated to the fourth year of Lugalanda in the 24th century BC, contain the earliest written evidence of celebrating a human birth. It connects this practice to royal control of the Bau temple and to a social setting of rising private property and egocentrism.
Key findings
- Five tablets from the Bau temple archive, all from Lugalanda’s fourth year, record offerings and feast rations for births in the royal family and court; DP 218 commemorates Baranamtara, Lugalanda’s wife, giving birth to a daughter, with a total of 1 ram, 2 lambs, 1 billy-goat, 1 doe-kid, and 5 kids eaten in the month of the Bau festival.
- The author proposes that the phrase dUtu u4 nu2-a-ka in DP 218 refers to the autumn equinox, placing the birth in October or early November, and notes sacrifices to deceased rulers Enentarzi and Dudu and to the Gilgamesh cult site.
- The paper claims birthdays are celebrated only where private property and egocentrism grow, while communal societies suppress individual biography; it links the Lagash records to the temple of Bau becoming the ensi family’s property and to Lugalanda presenting himself as a son of Bau.
- Later Ur III texts from Umma record offerings to royal women after childbirth but outside festivals and without deceased ancestors, suggesting a different practice.
Methods
- Philological edition and translation of five Old Sumerian administrative tablets from Lagash, including full transliteration and translation of DP 218 and discussion of DP 219, Nik 1,157, Nik 1,209, and TSA 45.
- Comparative textual analysis with later Mesopotamian horoscopes, Old Testament, Herodotus, Roman sources such as Plautus, Cicero, Censorinus, and Persius, and Egyptian decrees to contextualize birthday customs.
- Chronological and calendar analysis of month names and the phrase dUtu u4 nu2-a-ka to hypothesize autumn equinox dating.
Limitations
- The paper states the newborn daughter’s name is unknown, no texts show recurring birthday celebrations years after birth, and household texts are the only source; no royal inscription or legal document gives birth times, and exact ages are unknown.
- The author acknowledges broken lines, competing readings, and uncertainty about dUtu u4 nu2-a-ka; the autumn equinox interpretation is offered as a hypothesis, and alternative explanations such as a lunar eclipse or daylight during the moon’s disappearance are noted but rejected or left unconfirmed.
- Evident from the text: the argument rests on a small corpus from one reign and one temple archive, with some tablets lacking month or day details, so broader claims about ancient birthday practice are inferential.
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Claims the paper makes
30 Own interpretation · 20 No basis given · 18 Sources not found · 13 Own result · 1 Not checked yet
In the paper
“Even the date of their birth is known -the 21st day of the winter month of Kislimu (November-December), which in Sumerian beliefs was associated with the god of darkness and death Nergal entering the earthly realms [31, p. 112-117].”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [31, p. 112-117]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Births of livestock were categorized into seasons (“spring ewe”, “summer ewe”, etc).”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Every text contains the list of offerings made in the temple of the goddess Bau on the occasion of the birth of children in the king's family.”
- Also stated in: § (Edited by Henry Thomas Riley) · plain
“All tablets are dated from the fourth year of Lugalanda's reign.They hail from a temple of goddess Bau”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Also stated in: § (Edited by Henry Thomas Riley) · plain
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The child was delivered not by the king's wife but by the wife of the fuller of the king's head-dress.”
plainSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Specifically important for us is the fact that in all known cases the moment of time d Utu u 4 nu 2 -a-ka is related exclusively to the month of the festival of Bau.”
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“The inscription of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (681-669) is even more unequivocal: “The 21st day of Kislimu is the fell day of birth of asakku-demons” (ūmu lemnu ilitti asakki) [33, vol.A 2, p. 326] 13 .”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [33, vol.A 2, p. 326]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
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In the paper
“Thus, in the Sumerian epic “Ninurta and Asag” (not earlier than the 22nd century BC) it says: u 4 tu-da A 2 -sag 3 u 4 ḫa-lam-ma-bi-a ba-ni-ib-ĝa 2 -ĝa 2 -ne “Birthday of Asag they established as being the day of catastrophy”.”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [32, line 105]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Gifts, marking births of children, in those times were designated with a special term igi-kar 2 “supplies” [27, p. 133].”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [27, p. 133]
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plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“1.Those documents were all put down exclusively during the reign of Lugalanda.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Obverse I 1 1 ram 2 (on the occasion of) Barairnun, 3 wife of Alla, 4 fuller (of felt hats), 5 giving birth to a son, II 1 in the month of the festival of Lugal-uru at the end thereof 2 To the (palace) kitchen is donated.”
plainSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- It may state two separate claims as one. 36
- Probably not a substantial claim. 14
In the paper
“Incidentally, the text ref.MVN 16,960 speaks of bringing vestments to the place where the wife of Shu-Suen, queen Kubatum, also gave birth to a boy.The sacrifices were made in the month of the festival of Ninazu.”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites MVN 16,960
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Reverse III 1 In total: 1 ram, 2 2 lambs, 3 1 billy-goat, 4 1 doe-kid, 5 5 kids 6 in the month of festival of Bau, 7 (on the occasion of) Baranamtara, 8 wife of Lugalanda, 9 the 4th ensi of 1 Lagash, 2 giving birth to a daughter, 3 were eaten.”
- Also stated in: § III 1 šu-niĝin 2 1 udu nita 2 2 sila 4 3 1 ud 5 4 1 munus aš 2 -gar 3 5 5 maš 6 iti ezem-d Ba-U 2 -ka 7 Bara 2nam-tar-ra 8 dam Lugal-an-da 9 ensi 2 IV 1 Lagaš ki -ka-ke 4 2 dumu munus i 3 -tu-da-a 3 ba-gu 7 · boosted
“So, we know the exact day when Baranamtara's daughter was delivered.”
boostedSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Also stated in: § III 1 šu-niĝin 2 1 udu nita 2 2 sila 4 3 1 ud 5 4 1 munus aš 2 -gar 3 5 5 maš 6 iti ezem-d Ba-U 2 -ka 7 Bara 2nam-tar-ra 8 dam Lugal-an-da 9 ensi 2 IV 1 Lagaš ki -ka-ke 4 2 dumu munus i 3 -tu-da-a 3 ba-gu 7 · boosted
In the paper
“Since late 4th century BC it was customary for cuneiform texts to mark nothing but the social age.People were divided into babies whom as yet it was not possible to wean, young children, youths, mature men and elders.Thereat men and women were counted separately, the latter never being referred to as “people” [28].”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [28] 28. Finkelstein, J. J., Gurney, O. R. The Sultantepe Tablets. London, The British Institute of Archaeology in Ankara, 1957 (vol. I-II).
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“There is only one text known to us which enumerates notable dates of human life and their religious significance [29, tabl.400].That text, however, was put down in Assyria in the end of 8th century BC and does not mention the way personal age was counted.”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [29, tabl.400]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Under the 3 rd dynasty of Ur a few texts, having their origins in Umma, were recorded, which deal with offerings to recently delivered women of royal stock.Those offerings, however, were made outside the time of festivities and did not concern the dead ancestors.Rather, they were intended only for the recently delivered woman herself, as well as for her husband.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Unfortunately, household texts constitute the only source from which any information on the matter can be gleaned.Not a single royal inscription or a legal document contains any information on the time when people were born.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Notably, she gave birth to a male child, and it was on that occasion that the palace kitchen, responsible for providing the king's nourishment, received a ram.”
plainstates an associationSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“3. Birthdays of royal children, and of those born to the courtiers, were celebrated.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“In the calendar of Lugalanda's epoch it is the tenth month (December-January) [19, p. 55-56].It is stated that the birth occurred in the end of that month.”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [19, p. 55-56]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“One of the tablets contains no reference to the month of birth, while the other one speaks of the same month in which the festival of Bau was observed.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“The month of the festival of Bau is mentioned, similarly to DP 218, while the day is not.”
plainSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“For instance, in MVN 2, 317 goats and sheep are offered to the daughter and the son-in-law of king Shulgi in the end of the year on the occasion of Ninturtur giving birth to a boy.What is more, the offerings are brought not to a temple but to the place where a baby was born (ki Nin 9 -tur-tur-še 3 ).”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites MVN 2, 317
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The article deals with the five Old Sumerian cuneiform texts from the city of Lagash made during the time of Lugalanda (24th century BC).”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There exists one more tablet of the 4th year of Lugalanda, in which it says that a certain woman gave birth to a son (munus-e dumu i 3 -tu-da-a).It contains no reference to either dates of sacrifices or to feast rations.What is really peculiar, however, is that it does not name even the recently delivered woman, let alone the name of her husband.”
plainSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“We have no knowledge of a person's exact age, including the ages of rulers of ancient Mesopotamia.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Here, as we can clearly see, neither the month nor the day is mentioned.What is spoken of, however, is the presents to certain women, who have something to do with the queen's labour and delivery.”
boostedSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“2. Sacrifices were made both to the living, and to the dead.In contrast to the Romans, recipients of sacrifices were not spirits associated with people's births (although they existed with the Ancient Sumerians), but the ancestors of the new-born's father.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Lugalanda's daughters were named Geme Bau “Slave of Bau” and Munus-saga “Beautiful Woman” (an epithet for Bau), and likewise owned a certain share of the temple property (u 2 -rum).”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“However, the text is concluded with the full name of the ruler, being Lugalanda-nuhunga (“King, who has not rested with An”, i.e. “king, who has taken constant care of An”).”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Correspondingly, as soon as the priesthood of the temple were reinstated as possessors of its property (which happened, judging by the testimony of the clay cones and tablets, already at the early stage of Urukagina's reign) records of births ceased.”
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Exact pronunciation of her name is not certain: either Bau, or Baba.”
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In the paper
“On the occasion of the birth of the king's daughter a massive banquet for the king's retainers was held, of which the dead were also invited to partake.”
plainSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“We see that for a Greek of the High Classical period celebrating a birthday was deemed unusual.Indeed, in the Golden Age of Athens celebrations of people's birthdays were unknown.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“M. Cohen points out that in ancient Sumer it was either the 4th, or the 9th-12th month of the Lagash calendar [19, p. 38, 53-54]”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [19] 19. Cohen M. E. The Cultic Calendars of the Ancient Near East. Bethesda, CDL Press, 1993. 504 p.
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“For the 3rd dynasty of Ur it was the 8th month of Lagash city calendar, corresponding to October-November of the Julian calendar [15, bd.I, S. 288-291]”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [15] 15. Sallaberger W. Der Kultische Kalender det Ur III-Zeit. Berlin, New-York, Walter de Gruyter, 1993, bd. I. 314 p.
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It means that Lugalanda and Baranamtara's daughter was born in October or early November at the time of Scorpio rising, which designated autumnal equinox in the 3rd millennium BC.”
plainstates an associationSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“And vice versa, the predominance of the community neutralizes the facts of the individual's life.”
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Individual age reckoning might have been performed by means of counting days starting with the day of the new year, which was celebrated in spring.”
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It is noted that birthdays are celebrated only in those societies where the growth of private property and the increase of egocentrism contribute to an interest in the individual destiny of a person.”
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Human purpose in life from the point of view espoused by Sumero-Akkadian religion consisted in working for gods, while caring for one's family was considered a second priority [30].”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [30] 30. Emelianov V. V. Nippurskii kalendar' i ranniaia istoriia zodiaka [The Nippur Calendar and the Early Hostory of Zodiac]. Saint Petersburg, Peterburgskoje vostokovedenie, 1999. 272 p. (In Russian).
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- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“autumnal equinox in Sumerian time fell at the 7th or the 8th month, the time when the constellation of Scorpio ascended”
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: unclear — It is unclear why the paper says it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“His hypothesis, however, cannot be correct because sacrifices for this date were made in different years of Lugalanda's reign (cf.note 7), while eclipses could not occur in the same month of the year for several years in a row.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“However, nobody has translated them from the Old Sumerian; neither has anybody considered them a source of information on chronopsychology, i.e. psychology of reckoning and perceiving time.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“No such significance was ever accorded to the age of people, inasmuch as human beings living in a community were not looked upon as being unique individuals 12 .”
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Historians know clearly that this period in Mesopotamia is marked with appearance of trade houses and banks, strengthening of private enterprise, and with money becoming a benchmark against which people's social standing was measured [10].”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [10] 10. Dandamayev M. A. Mesopotamiia i Iran v VII-IV vv. do n.e. Social'nye instituty i ideologiia. [Mesopotamia and Iran in VII-IV BC. Social Institutions and Ideology]. St. Petersburg, Saint Peterburg State University, 2009. 512 p. (In Russian)
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“This goddess is related to the cult of the dead and the art of medicine[12, S. 37-38].”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [12, S. 37-38]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Only one thing can be established with certainty -the day of birth is something that clearly sets one person apart from the other.This difference evokes a sensation of joy.”
boostedstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Until quite recently the inscription in question has been attributed to Urukagina (Ukg.9) and, I might add, for no obvious reasons.Urukagina clearly had no point in glorifying his predecessor who had been supplanted by disgruntled townspeople.”
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“However, when a society is governed by the communal spirit a person would do better if he or she were more similar to every other member of that society.”
hedgedstates a possible cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Hence also, is the sharing of the meal with the deceased ancestors, who were seen as not only the earthly relatives to the king and the queen, but also as the sacred relatives of Bau.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“As soon as the next epoch of shedding communal ideas ensues and the role played by the individual in history acquires larger importance, one's birthday becomes a landmark of personal existence and a cornerstone of individual success.”
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“That is the reason why the interest to birthdays in history is a vacillating phenomenon, intermittently acquiring or losing its historical relevance.”
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim could be matched to a paper in Crossref, so there is nothing to check it against.
In the paper
“During the reign of Lugalanda there was an upsurge in corruption and sharp practice perpetrated by rich and powerful people, the priests of the temple of Bau came to play the leading role in the city policy [36, p. 190-191], social stratification, discrimination and egocentricity were on the rise [37].”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [36, p. 190-191]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites [37] 37. Frayne D. R. Presargonic Period (2700-2350 BC). Toronto, Buffalo, London, University of Toronto Press, 2008. 464 p.
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
The authors state this as an assumption.
The need to celebrate birthdays is connected with the submission of the economy of the temple of Bau to the king's family and with the emergence of a sacral genealogy of the king Lugalanda.
“The author assumes that need to celebrate birthdays is connected with submission of economy of the temple of Bau to the king's family and with emergence of a sacral genealogy of the king Lugalanda.”
The authors state this as an assumption.
The brick inscription EŞEM 6402 belongs to a brief corpus of sources written in the time of Lugalanda.
“Currently, it has to be assumed, in line with the opinion voiced by D. Frayne, that this text belongs to a brief corpus of sources written in the time of Lugalanda:”
The paper relies on this without support.
Lugalanda reigned approximately from 2324 to 2318 according to middle chronology, and his reign lasted about seven years.
“Lugalanda reigned approximately from 2324 to 2318 according to middle chronology.Texts speak of 7-year long term of this king's reign.”
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Eating of cattle.
“the horoscope of Proclus, compiled in Late Antiquity, when the interest to the private life of an individual was on the rise, has been preserved until the present day [39].”
§ References
“38. Marin. Proclus. Available at: http://psylib.org.ua/books/diogenl/txt14.htm (accessed: 12.03.2017). (In Russian translation)”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Eating of cattle.
“The inscription of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (681-669) is even more unequivocal: "The 21st day of Kislimu is the fell day of birth of asakku-demons" (ūmu lemnu ilitti asakki) [33, vol.A 2, p. 326]”
§ References
“33. Soltysiak A. The Birthday of Asakku. Archaeologia Baltica, 2008, vol. 10, pp. 52-56.”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Eating of cattle.
“Currently, it has to be assumed, in line with the opinion voiced by D. Frayne, that this text belongs to a brief corpus of sources written in the time of Lugalanda:”
§ References
“38. Marin. Proclus. Available at: http://psylib.org.ua/books/diogenl/txt14.htm (accessed: 12.03.2017). (In Russian translation)”
Citations
Cites
The Cultic Calendars of the Ancient Near East
Hunger, H., & Cohen, M. E. (1996) · Journal of the American Oriental Society · doi:10.2307/605467 · Cited by 107
(1997) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 92
Steele, J. M., & Rochberg, F. (1999) · Journal of the American Oriental Society · doi:10.2307/605968 · Cited by 47
The Calendar of the Funerary Cult in Ancient Lagash
JAGERSMA, B. (2007) · Bibliotheca Orientalis · doi:10.2143/bior.64.3.2023945 · Cited by 15
The Babylonian Calendar in the Reigns of Lugalanda and Urkagina
Barton, G. A. (1911) · Journal of the American Oriental Society · doi:10.2307/3087643 · Cited by 2
Research works printed but not linked: 10
- [6]6. Smith H. S. A Note on Amnesty. Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 1968, vol. 54, pp. 209-214.
- [9]9. Depuydt L. Esna's Triple New Year. Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, 2003, vol. 40, pp. 55-67.
- [22]22. Emelianov V. V. Mifopoeticheskoe v nazvanii vos'mogo zodiakal'nogo sozvezdiia [Mythopoeic meaning of the 8 th zodiacal constellation]. Toporovskie chteniia I-IV. Izbrannoe. Moscow, Indrik, 2010, pp. 58-78. 352 p. (In Russian).
- [23]23. Deimel A. še-ba gim-dumu-TUR-TUR-la-ne. Orientalia, 1929, vol. 43-44, pp. 89-131.
- [26]26. Widdell M. The Sumerian Expression igi-kar 2 Revisited. Iraq, 2008, vol. LXX, pp. 131-145.
- [27]27. Bartash V. Children in Ancient Sumer: How Much Do We Know? Available at: https://www.academia. edu/10067814/Bartash_2015_Children_in_Ancient_Sumer_How_much_do_we_know_University_of_ Helsinki_Jan_23_2015_ (accessed: 12.03.2017).
- [29]29. Tjumenev A. I. O prednaznachenii liudei po mifam drevnego Dvurech'ia [On the Purpose of Mankind According to the Myths of the Ancient Mesopotamia]. Vestnik drevnei istorii, 1948, no 4. pp. 14- 23. (In Russian).
- [32]32. CAD A2) The Assyrian Dictionary. Chicago, Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 1980, vol. 2, A 2. Chicago, 1968. 531 p.
- [33]33. Soltysiak A. The Birthday of Asakku. Archaeologia Baltica, 2008, vol. 10, pp. 52-56.
- [37]37. Frayne D. R. Presargonic Period (2700-2350 BC). Toronto, Buffalo, London, University of Toronto Press, 2008. 464 p.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Podany, A. H. (2022) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190059040.001.0001 · Cited by 62
Barbers, Mercenaries, and Exiles
Podany, A. H. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190059040.003.0013
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Podany, A. H. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190059040.003.0014
Empire Builders, Sculptors, and Deportees
Podany, A. H. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190059040.003.0017
Brewers, Rebels, and Exorcists
Podany, A. H. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190059040.003.0020
Metadata
- Authors
- St. Petersburg State University, & Emelianov, V. V.
- Affiliations
- St Petersburg University (RU)
- Corresponding author
- Emelianov, Vladimir V.
- Venue
- Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Asian and African Studies
- Publisher
- Saint Petersburg State University
- Published
- 2017
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 281-294
- ISSN
- 2074-1227 (ISSN-L)
- 2587-5892
- OpenAlex
- W2907930984
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2022: 28 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 1.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University Asian and African Studies (publishedVersion)
- Research Repository Saint Petersburg State University (Saint Petersburg State University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Ancient Near East History
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Ancient Egypt and Archaeology
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Biblical Studies and Interpretation
- Keywords
- birthday celebration, Lagash, temple offerings, autumn equinox, royal family, private property, individual destiny, history of holidays
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-11, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-11 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
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