text_original: The shape of these documents varied, and sometimes strikes us as being peculiar: besides the tablets and the bricks, we find small solid cones, or hollow cylinders of considerable size, on which the kings related their exploits or recorded the history of their wars or the dedi  cation of their buildings.
text_transcription: THE SHAPE OF THESE DOCUMENTS VARIED AND SOMETIMES STRIKES US AS BEING PECULIAR BESIDES THE TABLETS AND BRICKS WE FIND SMALL SOLID CONES OR HOLLOW CYLINDERS OF CONSIDERABLE SIZE ON WHICH THE KINGS RELATED THEIR EXPLOITS OR RECORDED THE HISTORY OF THEIR WARS OR THE DEDICATION OF THEIR BUILDINGS
phonemes: ðə ʃˈeɪp ʌv ðiːz dˈɑːkjuːmənts vˈɛɹid, ænd sˈʌmtaɪmz stɹˈaɪks ˌʌs æz bˌiːɪŋ pɪkjˈuːlɪɹ: bᵻsˌaɪdz ðə tˈæbləts ænd ðə bɹˈɪks, wiː fˈaɪnd smˈɔːl sˈɑːlɪd kˈoʊnz, ɔːɹ hˈɑːloʊ sˈɪlɪndɚz ʌv kənsˈɪdɚɹəbəl sˈaɪz, ˌɔn wˌɪtʃ ðə kˈɪŋz ɹᵻlˈeɪɾᵻd ðɛɹ ˈɛksplɔɪts ɔːɹ ɹᵻkˈɔːɹdᵻd ðə hˈɪstɚɹi ʌv ðɛɹ wˈɔːɹz ɔːɹ ðə dˈɛdi kˈæɾaɪən ʌv ðɛɹ bˈɪldɪŋz.