The following PowerPoint presentation (slides) contains information that was used as part of an online "Text-in-Translation Reading Group" (Seminar) led by Dylan Lawrence Gibson and hosted by Save Ancient Studies Alliance (SASA). It was funded by a grant from the Society for Classical Studies (Ancient Worlds, Modern Communities). This was the final session from a series of 3 dedicated to discussing Ancient Near-Eastern music 'theory' cuneiform tablets: Full Series Title: "An Introduction to Ancient Near-Eastern Music ‘Theory’: Understanding Musical Inscriptions" Session 3 Title: "UET VII 74: Re-Tuning/Modulation Instructions for the Sammú (Harp Instrument)" This is ideal for students interested in the field of Archaeo-Musicology.

1. An Introduction to Ancient Near-Eastern Music
‘Theory’: Understanding Musical Inscriptions
Dylan Lawrence Gibson
Texts-in-Translation: Reading Group

2. Review of the Course:
Session 1:
UET VII 126: String Names and Order of an Unknown Instrument
Session 2:
CBS 10996: Numbered String ‘Pairs’ / ‘Sets’
Session 3:
UET VII 74: Re-Tuning/Modulation Instructions for the
Sammú (Harp Instrument)
Information from UET VII 126 and CBS 10996 applied to UET VII 74.

3. Recap of Excavation Locations

4. Session 3 – Week 3
Thursday 27th January 2022
@ 15:00 (EST)
UET VII 74: Re-Tuning/Modulation Instructions
for the Sammú (Harp Instrument)

5. Focus:

6. Timeline
(Music tablets excavations)
Related musical texts - Span more than 1000 years.
*UET VI/ 3899

7. Timeline
(Music tablets excavations)
*UET VI/ 3899
Later musical information (from UET VII 126 and CBS 10996) can be applied to the earlier UET VII 74 text.
A ‘conservative’ musical culture or not?

8. Timeline
(Music tablets excavations)
Later musical information (from UET VII 126 and CBS 10996) can be applied to the earlier UET VII 74 text.
A ‘conservative’ musical culture or not?
*UET VI/ 3899

9. Prescribed Readings:
Early scholarly contributions, from the 1960s-1980s, that initiated the study of Archaeomusicology (general introduction to the tablet of interest).
Oliver, R. Gurney (1968). An Old Babylonian Treatise on the Tuning of the Harp. Iraq, 30(2): pp. 229-233. Available on JSTOR:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4199853
David Wulstan (1968). The Tuning of the Babylonian Harp. Iraq, 30(2): pp 215-228 (focus pages 220-221 - you are welcome to read
the entire document). Available: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4199852
Richard, L. Crocker (1978). Remarks on the Tuning Text UET VII 74 (U. 7/80). Orientalia, NOVA SERIES, 47(1): pp. 99-
104. Available on JSTOR: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43074799
Optional Readings:
Expands upon/corrects previous knowledge or adds new ideas.
Richard, Dumbrill (2005). The Archaeomusicology of the Ancient Near East. Cheshire: Trafford Publishing (focus on pages 47-67).
Available: https://www.academia.edu/875113/The_Musicology_and_Organology_of_the_Ancient_Near_East
Sam Mirelman & Theo J.H. Krispijn (2009).The Old Babylonian Tuning Text UET VI/3 899.Iraq, 71(1): pp 43-52. Available:
https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/30430/2/old_babylonian_tuning_text_uet_vi3_899_1.pdf
Sam Mirelman (2010). A New Fragment of Music Theory from Ancient Iraq. Archiv für musikwissenschaft, 67(1): pp 45-
51. Available: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gdavzMM5XPe4yMx69aGyp_aXr7KJly-wvBH7PtyfYto/edit
Sam Mirelman (2013). Tuning Procedures in Ancient Iraq. Analytical Approaches to World Music, 2(2): pp 45-55.
Available: http://www.aawmjournal.com/articles/2013b/Mirelman_AAWM_Vol_2_2.pdf

10. General layout / Context

11. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Photograph of a cast of the reverse
(the obverse is heavily damaged)
(Dumbrill 2020)
UET = Ur Excavation Text
Old-Babylonian period
(around 1800 BCE)

12. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
cast replica showing the dimensions and scale (requires confirmation)
UET = Ur Excavation Text
(Photograph by Paul White)

13. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Cuneiform Sketch:
(Gurney 1968)

14. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Transliteration Sketch:
(Friberg 2011)
masculine - single tense endings:
“Normative” (subject) = -um
“Genitive” (possession) = -im
feminine - single tense endings:
“Normative” (subject) = -tum
“Genitive” (possession) = -tim

15. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Transliteration Sketch:
(Friberg 2011)
“stanza-like” structural form – describes a process of “re-tuning”/modulation

16. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Transliteration Sketch:
Summary of the stanza-like structural form

17. The Sammú (GIŠZÁ.MÍ ) Instrument
(identifying important words and symbols)

18. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
An important Sumerogram
(Gurney 1968)

19. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
(Gurney 1968)
GIŠ/giš = “wood”
An important Sumerogram

20. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
(Gurney 1968)
GIŠ/giš = “wood”
(syllabic = “is”, “iz”, “iṣ”
An important Sumerogram

21. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Pro-to cuneiform
Wood/lumber

22. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Pro-to cuneiform
Wood/lumber GIŠ/giš = wood

23. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Pro-to cuneiform
Alternative Signs
bow shape (gardener?)
(made of wood)
African musical bow instrument:
Umrhubhe (mouth resonator – control overtones)
Uhadi (dried squash resonator)

24. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Pro-to cuneiform
Alternative Signs
bow shape (gardener?)
(made of wood)
African musical bow instrument:
Umrhubhe (mouth resonator – control overtones)
Uhadi (dried squash resonator)

25. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Pro-to cuneiform
Alternative Signs
bow shape (gardener?)
(made of wood)
“nu”
GIŠ/giš = wood
African musical bow instrument:
Umrhubhe (mouth resonator – control overtones)
Uhadi (dried squash resonator)

26. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
sheep (udu) - “catgut” gut/strings (sa / šag / šà)
Pro-to cuneiform
Alternative Signs
bow shape (gardener?)
(made of wood)
“nu”
GIŠ/giš = wood
Bow
African musical bow instrument:
Umrhubhe (mouth resonator – control overtones)
Uhadi (dried squash resonator)

27. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
sheep (udu) - “catgut” gut/strings (sa / šag / šà)
Pro-to cuneiform
Alternative Signs
bow shape (gardener?)
(made of wood)
“nu”
GIŠ/giš = wood
Bow
arrow
African musical bow instrument:
Umrhubhe (mouth resonator – control overtones)
Uhadi (dried squash resonator)

28. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
sheep (udu) - “catgut” gut/strings (sa / šag / šà)
Pro-to cuneiform
Alternative Signs
bow shape (gardener?)
(made of wood)
“nu”
GIŠ/giš = wood
Bow
arrow
African musical bow instrument:
Umrhubhe (mouth resonator – control overtones)
Uhadi (dried squash resonator)
gišpana
(bow)

29. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Pro-to cuneiform
Alternative Signs
Axe
(wooden handle)
silig = axe

30. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Pro-to cuneiform
Alternative Signs
Axe
(wooden handle)
silig = axe
African musical bow instrument:
Umrhubhe (mouth resonator – control overtones)
Uhadi (dried squash resonator)
GIŠ/giš = wood

31. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Signs and Pictographs Related to Music
(harps/lyres)
(plectrum)

32. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Transliteration Sketch:
(Friberg 2011)
GIŠ.ZÁ.MÍ
ZÁ.MÍ = stringed instrument
‘type’ classification
(usually a harp)

33. UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Transliteration Sketch:
(Friberg 2011)
(Gurney 1968) (name of a specific harp)

34. Familiar Musical Terms
(Relation to CBS 10996)

35. embūbu = string 3, 7
UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
CBS 10996
(OrNS29, 273)
Intertextual Relation

36. kitmu = string 6, 3
UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
CBS 10996
(OrNS29, 273)
Intertextual Relation

37. išartu = string 2,6
UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
CBS 10996
(OrNS29, 273)
Intertextual Relation

38. Familiar “Back” and “Front”
Designations

39. string 2 (“front” section)
UET VII 126
(IM - / U. 3011)
UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
Intertextual Relation

40. “backmost” string section
UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
UET VII 126
(IM - / U. 3011)
Intertextual Relation

41. ù (u3 ) = “and” designation
UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
CBS 10996
(OrNS29, 273)
Intertextual Relation

42. string 2 (“front” section) and string 9 “backmost”
Intertextual Relation
*the significance of this will be discussed

43. String 2
(“front” section)
String 9
(“backmost”)
Intertextual Relation
*the significance of this will be discussed
string 2 (“front” section) and string 9 “backmost”

44. Revision: Two String Numbering Systems
Intertextual Comparison
*the significance of this will be discussed
string 2 (“front” section) and string 9 “backmost”

45. Terms for “tightening” and “loosening”
strings

46. UET VI/3 899
Duplicate

47. UET VI/3 899
*provides more accurate philological readings for:
“tightening” (tanassaḫma) and “loosening” (tenè”amma)

48. UET VI/3 899
Old-Babylonian period
(around 1800 BCE)

49. The ‘Tuning’ Procedure
(“Tightening” and “Loosening” Instructions – Step-by-Step)

50. Step-by-Step Process

51. Step-by-Step Process

52. Step-by-Step Process

53. Tritone? (beating of notes?)
Step-by-Step Process

54. Step-by-Step Process

55. Visual representation
(Phillips & D’angour 2018)
Step-by-Step Process

56. New tuning (scale/mode)
Step-by-Step Process
“clear”

57. Related Strings/Pitches
An Octave or a Unison relationship?
(“not clear” – tritone beating of the notes?)

58. “Re-Tuning” Procedure
Extrapolation

59. Full Extrapolation

60. Full Extrapolation
Perfect 5th / 4th string span relationships - apply (“not clear”) tritones = (diminished 5th / Augmented 4th)

61. Musicological Interpretation
The “Tightening” System:
Descending
System:
tone-semitone
relationship
Disclaimer: Western music pitch names used for explanatory purposes only
Input pitches using a “Trial and Error” approach
(Applying Western music theory/ideas seems to work out)

62. Musicological Interpretation
A hypothetical “Loosening” System:
Ascending
System:
tone-semitone
relationship
Disclaimer: Western music pitch names used for explanatory purposes only

63. Major Findings
A “Tritone” Problem
(“acute tritone”)

64. Interval Sizes
Just intonation Versus 12-TET
Cultural perceptions - “Just Noticeable Difference” (JND)
“Not Clear” = directly translated term (avoid Western term Tritone)
“Acute Tritone”

65. Just Intonation? (renamed to “Sumerian Tuning”?)
Pythagorean Tuning? (renamed to “Akkadian” or “Zaku [Clear] Tuning”)
Harmonic/Overtone Series (Naturally Occurring)

66. Harmonic/Overtone Series
Easy to construct octaves, fifths (and fourths)

67. Harmonic/Overtone Series
Easy to construct octaves, fifths (and fourths)
5th

68. Harmonic/Overtone Series
Easy to construct octaves, fifths (and fourths)
4th

69. Harmonic/Overtone Series
Easy to construct octaves, fifths (and fourths)
4th (G-C)
5th (C-G)
5th (C-G) 4th (G-C)
Naturally occurring inversions

70. Tuning (Scale/Mode) of nīd qabli
Disclaimer: Western music pitch names used for explanatory purposes only
(not possible to translate the scales/modes into Western notation – too ambigious)
Looking at string tension “breaking
Points” to deduce possible pitches?
(string material?)
Diatonic (stepwise) system?
24 Possibilities - Ambiguous

71. Re-Tuning -
Relation to CBS 1766

72. CBS 1776

73. CBS 1776
Evidence for heptatonicism?

74. + +
*Photograph Unavailable
UET VII 74
(U.7/80)
CBS 10996
(OrNS29, 273)
UET VII 126
(IM - / U. 3011)
Hurrian H6
(R.Š15.30 + 15.49 + 17.387)
The theory-based
tablets are ambiguous. So,
is it possible to
perform or hear this
ancient instructional
notation?
critical question:

75. A Special Thanks to the
Invited Guest Scholars/Specialists:
And to everyone else who made time to attend!
Theo Krispijn
Sam Mirelman
John Franklin
Daniel Sánchez Muñoz
Richard Dumbrill
Jerome Colburn
Stefan Hagel