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Diorite Mortar
This mortar was an offering from Gudea (ruler of Lagash) to the god Enlil. Neo-Sumerian era, 2141-2122 BCE. From Nippur (modern Nuffar, Al-Qadisiyah Governorate, Iraq), southern Mesopotamia.(Istanbul Archaeological Museums/Ancient Orient...
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A Foundation Peg from the Temple of Nanshe
This copper alloy foundation deposit records the rebuilding of the temple of the god Nanshe in the city of Sirara (modern Zerghul, southern Iraq) by Gudea, ruler of Lagash. It features a bull in a reed marsh. C. 2130 BCE, probably from Sirara...
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The Mesopotamian Pantheon
The gods of the Mesopotamian region were not uniform in name, power, provenance or status in the hierarchy. Mesopotamian culture varied from region to region and, because of this, Marduk should not be regarded as King of the Gods in the same...
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A Brief History of Veterinary Medicine
The English word 'veterinarian' as defining one who provides medical care to animals, comes from the Latin verb veheri meaning “to draw” (as in "pull") and was first applied to those who cared for “any animal that works with a yoke” – cattle...
Definition
Hammurabi
Hammurabi (r. 1792-1750 BCE) was the sixth king of the Amorite First Dynasty of Babylon best known for his famous law code which served as the model for others, including the Mosaic Law of the Bible. He was the first ruler able to successfully...
Definition
Ur-Nammu - Founder of the Sumerian Renaissance
Ur-Nammu (c. 2112-c. 2094) was the founder of the Third Dynasty of Ur in Sumer who initiated the so-called Ur III Period (c. 2112-c.2004 BCE) also known as the Sumerian Renaissance. He is best known as the king who composed the oldest extant...
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Foundation Peg of Entemena
This is a baked clay foundation peg, which was dedicated by Entemena, king of Lagash. It refers to a treaty with the king of Uruk. The political bond between Lagash and Uruk mentioned in this text is the earliest formal interstate relationship...
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An Inscribed Head of a Lioness
This piece was found at the throne of Akurgal, King of Lagash. First dynasty of Lagash, early dynastic period, circa 2500 BCE. From Girsu (modern Tell Telloh), Sumer, southern Mesopotamia, Iraq. (Istanbul Archaeological Museums/Ancient Orient...
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The Battle of Kadesh & the First Peace Treaty
Ramesses II (The Great, 1279-1213 BCE) ruled Egypt for 67 years and, today, the Egyptian landscape still bears testimony to the prosperity of his reign in the many temples and monuments he had built in honor of his conquests and accomplishments...
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Dogs & Their Collars in Ancient Mesopotamia
Among the many contributions to world culture credited to Mesopotamia is an object so familiar to people in the modern world that few pause to consider its origin: the dog collar. Throughout the ancient world, from China to Rome, dogs are...