The Mask of Warka

Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
by
published on 21 March 2019
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The mask of Warka, the first almost complete and life-size depiction of the human face in history, with respect to its anatomical details. It is made of marble and is about 20 cm tall. The eyes may have been inlaid with shells and lapis lazuli. The head might have been part of a large cult statue or was attached to a wall. It may represent the Sumerian goddess Inanna (Akkadian Ishtar). It was excavated by a German archaeological team in 1939, in a temple dedicated to Inanna at the Sumerian city of Uruk (modern-day Warka), southern Iraq, It dates back to the Jemdet Nasr period, 3000-2900 BCE.

Iraq Museum, Baghdad.

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2019, March 21). The Mask of Warka. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10265/the-mask-of-warka/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The Mask of Warka." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 21, 2019. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10265/the-mask-of-warka/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The Mask of Warka." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 21 Mar 2019. Web. 22 Feb 2025.

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