Images

This auroch was made of glazed terracotta bricks and once decorated part of the processional street at Babylon. From Babylon, Mesopotamia, Iraq. Reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II, 604-562 BCE. (Istanbul Archeological Museums/Ancient Orient...

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).

Lugal-Dalu was probably a local ruler of Adab. The inscriptions on the statue's right shoulder describe the depicted man as "king of Adab" and the statue as an offering to the temple of the god Esar (or E-Shar), the greatest god of the city...

A terracotta tablet with cuneiform inscriptions that narrates a love poem. This is the oldest love poem ever known. The poem was probably written by an unknown woman who was chosen as a bride for Shu-Sin, King of Ur, III dynasty. The poem...

This terracotta clay tablet lists the names of Assyrian kings. From Assur (modern Qal'at Sharqat, Salah Al-Din Governorate, Iraq), Mesopotamia. Neo-Assyrian era, 7th century BCE. (Istanbul Archeological Museums/Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul...

This painted jar dates back to the Jemdet Nasr period, 3100-2900 BCE. The jar displays geometric grey and red motifs. (The Sulaimaniya Museum, Iraq).

This limestone altar was dedicated to the temple of the god Sibitti by the Assyrian King Sargon II. From Dur-Sharrukin (modern Khorsabad, Ninawa Governorate, Iraq), Mesopotamia. Neo-Assyrian era, 721-705 BCE. (Istanbul Archeological Museums/Ancient...

A man holds a mace and a bow and a number of cows appear behind him. The name of the man is unknown. A fragment of a limestone wall relief from the palace of Tiglath-pileser III at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu; Biblical Calah). Neo-Assyrian era...

This is an altar with a votive inscription in Latin from the city of Cluj-Napoca, which is in present-day Romania (Roman Dacia). The altar dates to c. 101-150 CE. height: 45 cm width: 24 cm depth: 19.5 cm letter size: 6-2 cm Transcription...

This is an ancient Roman altar piece — in votive style — to Publius Aelius Marcianus, who was of the decurial order and a holder of higher local offices in Napoca (a city in Roman Dacia). Today, Napoca is Cluj-Napoca, Romania. This lovely...