Images

_et('6'); These counterparts of real mastiffs were buried to guard a property from devils and demons. Ritual instructions for making and inscribing them survive on clay tablets. This pack was found beneath a palace doorway at Nineveh. Each is named...

_et('6'); Lahmu was a minor god associated with the god Ea. Ritual texts prescribe that such figures be buried in the corners of a room and in the courtyard. From Nineveh, Northern Mesopotamia, Iraq. Neo-Assyrian Period, 900-612 BCE. (The British Museum...

_et('6'); In order to protect the household, this protective figure (apkallu or sage) would be buried beneath the floor in groups of seven. This figurine represents a wise man dressed in a fish-cloak sent by the god Ea to impart knowledge to humans...

_et('6'); This luxurious marble cosmetic container has an inscriptions marking it as the property of Marduk, god of Babylon. From Sippar, Southern Mesopotamia, Iraq. Circa 625-550 BCE. (The British Museum, London)

_et('6'); This mould was used to make small and cheap metal amulets. One is an image of demonic Lamashtu, to keep her away from women and their new-borne infants. From Nineveh, Northern Mesopotamia, Iraq. Neo-Assyrian Period, 800-612 BCE. (The British...

_et('6'); Mesopotamian amulet covered with a quotation from a poem, the Akkadian Erra Epic, thought suitable to ward off plague. From Ashur, Northern Mesopotamia, Iraq. Neo-Assyrian Period, 800-612 BCE. The British Museum, London.

_et('6'); 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.

_et('6'); The inscription on this blue stone amulet calls on the warrior god Ninurta for help against any evil. From Mesopotamia, Iraq. Circa 700-550 BCE. (The British Museum, London)

_et('6'); Clay plaque of a woman and a child, moulded in a relief. The woman stands naked on a platform and holds her child with her left hand; the right hand appears to guide the child to her breast. Such plaques were made to protect women and ensure...

_et('6'); This is a clay plaque depicting a naked woman, standing on a platform and holding her breasts. Such plaques were made to protect women and ensure their safety during labor. From Ur, Southern Mesopotamia, Iraq. Circa 700-500 BCE. (The British...