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Queen's lyre from Ur, southern Iraq, 2600-2400 BCE. Stringed instrument with a bull's head, found in the grave of Queen Pu-abi, part of the Royal Tombs in the cemetery at Ur. Along with the lyre were the bodies of ten women with fine jewellery, presumed to be sacrificial victims. One woman lay right against the lyre, the bones of her hands placed where the strings wuld have been. ANE 121198A
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Queen's lyre from Ur, southern Iraq, 2600-2400 BCE. Stringed instrument with a b...

Stone vessel from Ur,Mesopotamian,southern Iraq. Dis- covered in the grave of Queen Pu-abi in the cemetery at Ur, 2600-2400 BCE. It was first roughly chipped to shape, then hollowed out using a bow-drill and finally the exterior was finely cut and polished. ANE 121717
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Stone vessel from Ur,Mesopotamian,southern Iraq. Dis- covered in the grave of Qu...

Gold cup from Ur,Mesopotamia,southern Iraq, 2.600 - 2.400 BCE. Found on the floor of the pit of the Queen's grave alongside the sacrificial victims. There are no gold deposits in Mesopotamia, and the metal would probably have come from Iran or Anatolia. Manufactured in Mesopotamia. ANE 121346
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Gold cup from Ur,Mesopotamia,southern Iraq, 2.600 - 2.400 BCE. Found on the floo...

The silver object was discovered in the cemetery at Ur, early Dynastic period, 2.600-2.400 BCE. In shape it resembles shell vessels also found in the Royal graves. Although often described as "lamps" both the conch shells and their metal imitations were probably used for pouring, perhaps in temple rituals. ANE 120696
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The silver object was discovered in the cemetery at Ur, early Dynastic period, 2...

Plaque depicting King Eannatum, around 2450-2300 BCE. Fragment of a stone plaque with a cuneiform inscription which identifies the figure as Eannatum, ruler of the kingdom of Lagash. The plaque would have been dedicated to a temple by Eannatum himself and was probably originally fixed to the wall. ANE 130828
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Plaque depicting King Eannatum, around 2450-2300 BCE. Fragment of a stone plaque...

Lion's head from the temple of Ninhursag, a mother goddess "lady of the steppe land", Tell al-Ubaid near Ur, southern Iraq 2600-2400 BCE. The head, made of sheet copper over a bitumen core was found at the foot of a brick platform of the former temple building. The lions may have decorated the fcade of the temple, perhaps acting as guardian figures at the entrance. ANE 114312
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Lion's head from the temple of Ninhursag, a mother goddess "lady of the steppe...

Stone mace head, possibly from Tello (ancient Girsu), southern Iraq, Kingdom of Lagash, 2400-2300 BCE. This mace head is too large to have been attached to a staff and used in battle and is probably an object dedicated in temples. An eagle grasps two lions. ANE 23287
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Stone mace head, possibly from Tello (ancient Girsu), southern Iraq, Kingdom of...

Terracotta plaque showing a bull-man holding a post, Mesopotamian, Old Babylonian, 2.000-1.600 BCE. The relief shows a creature with head and torso of a human but lower body and legs of a bull. He may be supporting a divine emblem and this acting as a protective deity. Baked clay tablets were mass-produced using moulds in southern Mesopotamia from the second millenium BCE. ANE 103225
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Terracotta plaque showing a bull-man holding a post, Mesopotamian, Old Babylonia...

Clay mask of the demon Humbaba, 1800-1600 BCE. One method for predicting the future in ancient Mesopotamia was the study of the shape and colour of the internal organs of a sacrificed animal. A cuneiform inscription on the back of this mask suggests that the intestines have the shape of Humbaba's face. Humbaba was the guardian of the Cedar forest and was defeated by Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The divination expert who made the mask is named in the inscription as Warad-Marduk. The mask was founs at Sippar, the cult center for the sun-god Shamash. ANE 116624
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Clay mask of the demon Humbaba, 1800-1600 BCE. One method for predicting the fut...

Fragment of a stone stele dedicated by Itur-Ashdum, probably from Sippar, Meopotamia, Iraq. 1760-1750 BCE. The cuneiform inscription states that a high official called Itur Ashdum dedicated a statue to the goddess Ashratum in her temple, on behalf of King Hammurabi. To the left of the inscription is Hammurabi, with his right arm raised in worship. Code: 0310000994
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Fragment of a stone stele dedicated by Itur-Ashdum, probably from Sippar, Meopot...

Kudurru, Babylonian, 978-934 BC. It records a legal settle- ment of the title to an estate near the city of Sha-mamitu, ancient Mesopotamia. Nineteen divine symbols protect the document, with a snake on the right. Nabumukin-apli, king of Babylon, and Arad Sibitti and his sister, to whom the property had belonged, are mentioned in the document. The estate passed through marriage to the family of Burusha, the jewel-worker, but the claim to the land was contested. Burusha's family then paid 887 shekels of silver and secured ownership of the land. ANE 90835
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Kudurru, Babylonian, 978-934 BC. It records a legal settle- ment of the title to...

Stone tablet of Nabu-apla-iddina, from Sippar, southern Iraq, Babylonian, around 870 BCE. On the top are 13 symbols of the gods designed to protect the legal document. Both the king, wearing the typical Babylonian royal hat and the priest whose hand is raised in salute, have labels on the obverse side to identify them. The stone tablet is a copy of a deed recording the restoration of cerntain lands by the king to a priest of the same name. ANE 90922
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Stone tablet of Nabu-apla-iddina, from Sippar, southern Iraq, Babylonian, aroun...