Evidence Gaps
We cannot yet quote or translate the core Sumerian prescriptions in full because the primary editions are not in hand.
Missing editions:
- Civil 1960 (RA 54)
- Civil 1961 (RA 55)
- OECT 5 (incantations)
- ASJ 17 (entries 097 and 099)
- Fs Sigrist 024
Risks
- Over-reliance on later Akkadian corpora can distort Sumerian practice.
- Ingredient lists in secondary summaries are provisional until verified.
- “Elixir” language is anachronistic unless explicitly attested.
Open Questions
- Do any Sumerian prescriptions describe a life‑giving drink in explicit terms?
- Are additional Sumerian medical tablets present in CDLI but not tagged as medical?
- Can provenience data narrow the findspot of CBS 14221 beyond Nippur?
Immediate Priorities
- Secure the missing editions via legitimate access.
- Extract exact lines and ingredient lists from the primary texts.
- Build a claim‑to‑evidence matrix for every public narrative.