back to overview
 
560 photos
Steatite jar, from Ur,southern Iraq, 2600-2400 BCE. This bowl demonstrated the extensive trade network that linked the cities of southern Mesopotamia with the rest of the Near East. It was found in one of the graves in the cemetery at Ur and may have been made in Iran, at Tepe Yahya, known for such carved chlorite vessels. ANE 121697
#03030113

Steatite jar, from Ur,southern Iraq, 2600-2400 BCE. This bowl demonstrated the e...

Stone basin, Ur, southern Iraq, early Dynastic period, 2600-2400 BCE. Soft stone, such as steatite or chlorite, are found in both Iran and Arabia and such vessels have been found from the Gulf to Pakistan. Nothing is known of what was transported in these pots,but this one was found in the tomb of Pu-Abi, one of the richest in the cemetery of Ur, and most probably held luxury goods. ANE 121695
#03030114

Stone basin, Ur, southern Iraq, early Dynastic period, 2600-2400 BCE. Soft stone...

Silver jar, from Ur, southern Iraq, 2600-2400 BCE. This spouted silver jug comes from the "Queen's Grave" in the Royal cemetery at Ur,southern Iraq. The jug may have been used for serving wine at banquets; the silver probably came from Iran or Anatolia,brought down the river Euphrates. ANE, 12450
#03030115

Silver jar, from Ur, southern Iraq, 2600-2400 BCE. This spouted silver jug comes...

A set of Hematite weights from Ur, southern Iraq, 1900-1600 BCE. Hematite was consistently used in Mesopotamia for weights from the late 3rd milennium BC; it is a hard stone which wears well and it would be obvious if it had been tampered with. A system of weights and measures was adopted, so that payments to workers could be reckoned, and also in order to calculate the value of precious objects. ANE 117891, ANE 117.
#03030116

A set of Hematite weights from Ur, southern Iraq, 1900-1600 BCE. Hematite was co...

Gypsum head of a man, from Sippar, southern Iraq, early Dynastic period, 2500 BCE. This very worn head was probably once part of a votive figurine, set up in a temple in Sippar to pray on behalf of the donor. The eyes would originally have been inlaid; traces of bitumen survive in the sockets. ANE 91877 (1882.9-18.a.5.)
#03030117

Gypsum head of a man, from Sippar, southern Iraq, early Dynastic period, 2500 BC...

Pottery jar, Mitannian, from Alalakh (modern Tel Atchana,Syria. Thie distinctive style of painted pottery appears across north Syria and north Mesopotamia from around 1500 to the 13th BCE. Atchana ware dates from a time when north Mespotamia and Syria were dominated by Mitanni,the name for a lose confederation of Hurrian city states. ANE,126193
#03030119

Pottery jar, Mitannian, from Alalakh (modern Tel Atchana,Syria. Thie distinctive...

Amulet with a figure of Lamashtu, designed to ward off evil, from Mesopotamia, around 800 BCE. Lamashtu has the head of a lion, the teeth of a donkey, naked breasts and the talons of a bird. She holds snakes in her hands and stands on her sacred animal, the donkey. Lamashtus principal victims were unborn and new-born babies. ANE 117759
#03030124

Amulet with a figure of Lamashtu, designed to ward off evil, from Mesopotamia,...

Female figurine found in a tomb under a house. A mothergoddess.Around 6.000 BCE From Tell es Sawwan, middle Tigris, near Samarra. Alabaster,H:4 cm DAO 33
#03030134

Female figurine found in a tomb under a house. A mothergoddess.Around 6...

Zoomorphic vase,terracotta. Marlik civilisation North of the Caspian Sea. Terracotta, H: 21,2 cm
#03030137

Zoomorphic vase,terracotta. Marlik civilisation Nort...

Cup,Mesopotamian, late Prehistoric period, 3.400 to 3200 BCE.he cup is carved on either side with a figure naked except for a belt and with his hair parted in the centre. The figure holds two bulls around the neck, on which perch large birds. The meaning of this image is unclear:the man may be protecting the animals, or he may represent the struggle between chaotic savagery and divine order. ANE, 118465
#03030140

Cup,Mesopotamian, late Prehistoric period, 3.400 to 3200 BCE.he cup is carved on...

Stone cult vessel,from Mesopotamia, 3400-3200 BCE. This was the time when large cities were developing in southern Mesopotamia. The largest known settlement was Uruk (modern Warka). In its center were monumental temple buildings with sculptures for ritual use, or, if smaller, left as votive objects. Lines of animals are commonly depicted attacking domesicated animals. This is a standard theme in Mesopotamic art, a symbolic representation of the struggle between chaotic savagry and divine order. ANE, 118361
#03030141

Stone cult vessel,from Mesopotamia, 3400-3200 BCE. This was the time when large...

Clay plaque showing a banqueter, from Uruk (Warka), 1st CE. The plaque shows a reclining man in Parthian dress of belted tunic and baggy trousers. He holds a drinking cup in one hand. The figure was made by pressing clay into a simple mould. ANE 91786
#03030142

Clay plaque showing a banqueter, from Uruk (Warka), 1st CE. The plaque shows a...