Sumerian civilization: Did you mean...?

Limestone statue of a Sumerian female in a gesture of prayer. The head is lost. She wears the classical Sumerian flounced garment with a bare right shoulder. The feet stand on a semi-rectangular base with a back-pillar. Side view, left. From...

The 'Near East' is a modern-age term for the region formerly known as the 'Middle East,' comprising Armenia, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and part of Turkey, corresponding to ancient Urartu, Mesopotamia...

Enheduanna (circa 2300 BCE) is the world's first author and was the daughter (either literally or figuratively) of the great empire-builder Sargon of Akkad (reign 2334-2279 BCE). Her name translates from the Akkadian as "high priestess of...

Scribes in ancient Mesopotamia were highly educated individuals trained in writing and reading on diverse subjects. Initially, their purpose was to record financial transactions through trade, but in time, they were integral to every aspect...

For how long do we build a household? For how long do we seal a document? For how long do brothers share the inheritance? For how long is there to be jealousy in the land(?)? The Epic of Gilgamesh, chapter 10, Tablet X. I have always...

Gypsum replica of the statue of Sumerian scribe Dudu. The original statue was made of diorite and probably came from Tell Telloh (Girsu), Iraq, c. 2600 BCE. Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraq.

Amongst the most famous statues from Tell Asmar are these two standing male and female ones, which were made of veined gypsum. They have a wide-eyed gaze and hold a cup with their hands. The man is bare-chested and wears a flounced kilt while...

A statue of a Sumerian worshipper. Marble, early dynastic period, 2800-2300 BCE, Mesopotamia, Sulaimaniya Museum, Iraq.

Limestone head of a statue of a Sumerian male; the rest of the body is lost. The eye sockets are empty but might well have been filled in with a white shell or a precious stone set in bitumen. Front view. From the Single-Shrine at the Temple...

It was a Sumerian tradition to deposit or bury objects bearing inscriptions within temples and important public buildings. These recorded the names of the persons who were responsible for the building and also ensured divine protection. The...