answered to an ‘overseer’ (ugula^4 ) in charge of two ‘inspectors of plough oxen’ (and
therefore normally in charge of ten ‘cultivators’ and ten domain parcels) (Figure 3. 4 ).
Each ‘cultivator’ in charge of one field, or domain parcel, employed three ‘ox drivers’
(ˇas 3 - gu 4 ). Since the surface of 6 bur 3 (as opposed to the surface of 100 iku) can easily
be divided into three equal units, each measuring one square USˇ(≈ 360 x 360 metres),
it seems reasonable to assume that this represented the ideal size of cultivation under
the responsibility of each ‘ox driver’. Each square USˇwould be further subdivided into
six family-sized plots measuring one esˇe 3 ( 2. 16 hectares) (Figure 3. 5 ).
The esˇe 3 measurement equals 6 iku, and each ikucan be further divided into 100 ˇars ,
the traditional Sumerian garden plot, measuring approximately 6 x 6 metres.
The use of integral numbers of the bur 3 for the measurements of field areas is not
surprising given that the bur 3 served as the basis for calculations of sowing rates in the
Ur III period, with one bur 3 of cultivated land typically receiving one gurof barley seed
(≈ 300 litres) (Maekawa 1984 : 87 ). Thus, the standard amount of seed for the 6 bur 3
‘field’ in these texts would be 6 gur(≈ 1 , 800 litres), the unit of the ˇas 3 - gu 42 gur(≈ 600
–– Sumerian agriculture and land management ––engar
(1 field)engar
(1 field)engar
(1 field)nu-banda 3 gu 4
(5 fields)engar
(1 field)engar
(1 field)engar
(1 field)engar
(1 field)engar
(1 field)engar
(1 field)engar
(1 field)ugula
(10 fields)nu-banda 3 gu 4
(5 fields)eše 3
2.16 haUnit of ša 3 -gu 4
UŠ × UŠ (12.96 ha)eše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haUnit of ša 3 -gu 4
UŠ × UŠ (12.96 ha)eše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haeše 3
2.16 haUnit of ša 3 -gu 4
UŠ × UŠ (12.96 ha)a-ša 3 “field”
6 bur 3 (38.88 ha)Figure 3.4Organisation of the supervision of fields and field workers in the Ur III period. See
note 4 for alternative professional titles of the top official responsible for ten fields.Figure 3.5Administrative division of a ‘field’ (a-sˇa 3 ) in the Ur III period