Images

In this clay plaque, an affectionate couple is depicted (domestic scene?). The man and the woman are looking at and holding each other. From Ur, southern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. Old-Babylonian period, 2000-1600 BCE. (The British Museum...

This clay plaque depicts the goddess Lama. Her hands are raised in meditation. People prayed to Lama for their personal protection. Lama always wears a long tiered-skirt. From Ur, southern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. Old-Babylonian period...

This clay plaque depicts a striding man who leads a large dog (domestic scene?). From Sippar (modern-day Tell Abu Hubba, Babel Governorate, Iraq), Mesopotamia. Old-Babylonian period, 2000-1600 BCE. (The British Museum, London).

Colossal guardian lion found at the entrance to the temple of Ishtar, Sharrat-niphi. The cuneiform inscriptions on the statue mention the name of Ashurnasirpal II as the temple's builder. This lion was one of a pair of lions which were found...

The inscription, unusually for a weight, is cut in reverse. It mentions that this stone weight was dedicated to the temple of Shamash, the sun god, at Sippar. It precisely gives the weight as 10 mina, 15 shekels, a little more than 5 kilograms...

This fragment was part of a large terracotta plaque which depicts a bull in front of a tree. The cuneiform inscriptions on the bull's thigh mention that the plaque was dedicated by a man named Sin-Eriba to Gula, goddess of healing. From Mesopotamia...

This is a close-up image of the upper part of a copper figurine of Ur-Nammu, king of Ur. The lower half of this foundation figurine is not shown but it was inscribed with cuneiform inscriptions which mention that the figurine is dedicated...

The cuneiform inscriptions on this tablet mention the name of Ur-Nammu, king of Ur and founder of the Sumerian 3rd dynasty of Ur. From the temple of Inanna at Uruk, southern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. Neo-Sumerian period, 2112-2095 BCE.

This carved stone face probably belonged to a head of a sphinx. The Assyrian king Sennacherib ordered several colossal statues to be made in his new palace. Such giant statues were thought to have a supra-natural protective power. From the...

The cuneiform inscriptions mention that Enannatum, king of Lagash, reminds the gods of his prolific temple building achievements in the city of Lagash. From Girsu (modern-day Tell Telloh, Dhi-Qar Governorate, Iraq), Mesopotamia. Early dynastic...