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Victory Stele of Naram-Sin
Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, king of Akkad. c. 2250 BCE. Brought from Sippar to Susa in the 12th century BCE. Restored in 1992 CE. (Louvre Museum, Paris)
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Diorite statue of an Akkadian ruler of Ashur
This statue was unearthed during the German excavations at the city of Ashur in 1905 CE. The statue depicts a man in a long gown, which is girded at the waist with a belt. The details of the body, especially at the shoulders and upper arms...
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Cylinder Seal Showing a Contest Scene
This green jasper cylinder seal depicts a contest scene. At the centre of the scene, there is a pair of crossed bulls; each one is being attacked by a standing bearded hero. The heroes have a double bun hairstyle. They wear a wrap-over kilt...
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Vases wtih Naram-Sin Inscription
These two marble vases were inscribed with the name of Naram-Sin, king of Sumer and Akkad. Reign of Naram-Sin, 2254-2218 BCE. From Mesopotamia, Iraq. (Istanbul Archeological Museums/Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul, Turkey).
Definition
Mesopotamian Literature
Ancient Mesopotamian literature developed c. 2600 BCE after scribes, who had formerly been record keepers, began composing original works in the region of Sumer. The Sumerians invented writing c. 3500 BCE, refined the script c. 3200 BCE...
Definition
Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia)
The Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia is the modern-day archaeological term for the era in Mesopotamian history – 2900-2334 BCE – during which some of the most significant cultural advances were made including the rise of the cities, the...
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Map of Sumer
The area which formed Sumer started at the Persian Gulf and reached north to the 'neck' of Mesopotamia where the two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates meander much closer to each other. To the east loomed the Zagros Mountains, where scattered...
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Matter of Aratta
The Matter of Aratta is the modern-day title for a collection of four poems – Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta, Enmerkar and En-suhgir-ana, Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave, and Lugalbanda and the Anzud Bird – concerning the rivalry between...
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Ten Great Ancient Mesopotamian Women
The lives of women in ancient Mesopotamia were regulated by a patriarchal hierarchy, but within this social structure, there were many who distinguished themselves and some who were able to assume positions traditionally held by men. Women...
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Anzu as a Captive Before Ea
This cylinder seal depicts a scene of Anzu and Ea. On the left, a bearded god wearing a horned headdress and a striped kilt holds a branch of vegetation in a cleft stick (or a plough) over his shoulder. Next to him, another and similarly...