Images

This is a polished grey stone, which was probably an offering stand. The name (and title) of "Enmahgalanna" appears and is repeated unusually with a pictogram of the moon's crescent (instead of using the pertinent cuneiform sign). Enmahgalanna...

This grey stone mace head was inscribed with a cuneiform text. The text says that this mace head was dedicated to the god Ningirsu by Ur-Ningirsu II (son of Gudea, ruler of Lagash). From Girsu, Sothern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. Circa...

This mace head was inscribed with a cuneiform text. The text says that the mace is dedicated to the god Kindazi by the lady Ninkagina, both on her own behalf and that of Nam-mahani, who was a king of Lagash. The mace head itself has a name...

Movses Khorenatsi (Moses of Khoren) who was a 5th century CE Armenian historian whose work the 'History of the Armenians' has earned him the title of the “father of Armenian history”.

A red-figure vessel depicting Xanthias, the slave of Dionysos in the 405 BCE Greek comedy play 'The Frogs' by Aristophanes. Mid-4th century BCE, Campania. (British Museum, London)

Cast in copper alloy, this Hurrian foundation peg dates to circa 2200-2100 BCE. It measures 11.7 cm high x 7.9 cm wide. Artist unknown, from Syria. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York).

Inscribed by an unknown author, this portion of a clay tablet comprises eleven lines with a list of gods in Hurrian. It measures 50 mm in height and 49 mm in width. (British Museum, London)

Certain types of figurines were commonly placed within foundations of buildings during the third dynasty of Ur (2100-2000 BCE) of the Neo-Sumerian Period, to commemorate the building of temples by the ruler. These three peg-shaped copper...

This is a stone tablet, inscribed with a cuneiform text. This was a dedication to the Temple of Nin-Sun at Ur by Ur-Nammu. Ur-Nammu was king of Ur III dynasty. From Southern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. Neo-Sumerian Period, reign of Ur-Nammu...

This is a black steatite stone tablet, inscribed with a cuneiform text. This was a dedication to the Temple of Dimtabba (Nimintaba) at Ur by Shulgi. Shulgi was king of Ur III dynasty. It was found buried with a copper alloy foundation figurine...