Decad (Sumerian texts)
The Decad is a name given to a standard sequence of ten scribal training compositions in ancient Sumer.
The Tetrad
Steve Tinney also identified another group of compositions of an even more basic introductory level, which he called the Tetrad. This consisted of four brief hymns that would have introduced students to various aspects of Sumerian grammar; it was only occasionally used by some teachers. The Tetrad includes a Hymn to king Lipit-Estar of Isin, Iddin Dagan B, Enlil Bani A and Nisaba A. Tinney noted that these hymns were often found together as a collection, occasionally on a single tablet or prism. Herman Vanstiphout suggested that these were "easier pieces" or "teaching texts" as they did not feature in the larger catalogues. He noted that the debates did not feature in either as they were more complex in form.Contents of the Decad
The Decad is shown below.| Number | Title | Description |
| 1 | Hymn to Shulgi | Royal hymn |
| 2 | Lipit-Estar A | Royal hymn |
| 3 | Song of the hoe | Composition around the sign AL = "hoe" |
| 4 | Inana B | Hymn to Inana or Ninmesara |
| 5 | Hymn to Enlil | Hymn to Enlil or Enlilsurase |
| 6 | Kesh Temple Hymn | Temple hymn |
| 7 | Enki's Journey to Nippur | Narrative composition |
| 8 | Inana and Ebih | Narrative composition |
| 9 | Nungal A | Hymn to 'lady prison' |
| 10 | Gilgamesh and Huwawa | Narrative composition |