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Gutians
The Gutians were a West Asiatic people who are thought to have lived around the Zagros Mountains in a region referred to as Gutium. They had no written language and all that is known of them comes from their enemies, including the Akkadians...

Definition
Ereshkigal
Ereshkigal (also known as Irkalla and Allatu) is the Mesopotamian Queen of the Dead who rules the underworld. Her name translates as 'Queen of the Great Below' or 'Lady of the Great Place.' She was responsible for both keeping the dead within...

Definition
Ancient Syria
Syria is a country located in the Middle East on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered, from the north down to the west, by Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. It is one of the oldest inhabited regions in the world with archaeological...

Article
Lost Treasures From Iraq: Revisited & Identified
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...

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Mesopotamian Amulet Against Ghosts
Stone inscribed with an incantation that has 7 signs, repeated 7 times. It is much worn through use. From Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq, c. 800-550 BCE.
The British Museum, London.

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Mesopotamian Carved Stone with Integral Handle
This carved grey stone has an integral handle. It was possibly a weight. There are eight compartments decorated with the shapes of eyes and rosettes. The handle imitates basketry and is ornamented with lozenges in relief. The stone might...

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Mesopotamian Finger Rings
These rings were found on the fingers of a woman named Puabi, inside her grave. Puabi was a Semitic Akkadian woman from Ur, c. 2600 BCE, possibly a queen or priestess. Two rings were made of gold wire that was twisted before being wound...

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Mesopotamian Incense Container
A pottery incense container found at layer 5 of the altar platform of the central temple of Basmosian Hill, Mesopotamia, Hurrian period, 2nd millennium BCE.
Sulaimaniya Museum, Iraq.

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Mesopotamian Banquet Scene
Perforated votive plaque with a banquet scene, Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq, c. 2700-2600 BCE.
Louvre, Paris.

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Mesopotamian Gold Earrings
This is a pair of gold boat-shaped earrings, worn by one of Queen Puabi's attendants and was found inside Puabi's grave. Early Dynastic Period, circa 2600 BCE. From the Royal Cemetery at Ur, Southern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. Part of...