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Beer
Beer is one of the oldest intoxicating beverages consumed by human beings. Even a cursory survey of history makes clear that, after human beings have taken care of the essential needs of food, shelter, and rudimentary laws for the community...
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Cradles of Civilization - The Ziggurat
In part six of his nine part lecture on the Near East, Dr. Neiman discusses the importance of Sumer's influence on Egypt. Further, he details how the building of the temple towers, named "Ziggurat" lead to the development of the Egyptian...
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Sumerian Man Offering a Libation
Shell inlay depicting a standing and naked man (ordinary individual or priest) offering a libation. Excavated by Sir Henry Layard for the Department of Antiquities in Iraq. This object was part of the objects allotted to the British Museum...
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Obelisk of Ur-Nanshe from Lagash
This large white limestone obelisk was found in Lagash, southern Mesopotamia, in modern-day Iraq. All of the 4 aspects of the obelisk were carved, in reliefs, with different scenes. The frontal surface depicts the Sumerian goddess Nisaba...
Article
The World's Oldest Love Poem
The world's oldest love poem is The Love Song for Shu-Sin (c. 2000 BCE) composed in ancient Mesopotamia for use in part of the sacred rites of fertility. Prior to its discovery in the 19th century, and its translation in the 20th, the biblical...
Article
Cylinder Seals in Ancient Mesopotamia - Their History and Significance
Among the most interesting and revealing artifacts discovered from ancient Mesopotamia are cylinder seals. These fairly small items may be seen today in museum exhibits around the world but, perhaps owing to their size, they are not given...
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Ziggurat of Ur (Artist's Impression)
An artist's depiction of the Ziggurat of Ur as it may have appeared around the time it was created in the 21st Century BCE. From the game Old World.
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The Warka Vase
The Vase of Warka (also called Uruk Vase) is one of the earliest surviving examples of narrative art. It was excavated (in fragments) by a German excavation team in a temple complex dedicated to the goddess Inanna at the city of Uruk (in...
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Lion Statue from Eridu
This is one of a pair of lions which once stood at the gate of the ancient Sumerian city of Eridu (Tell Abu Shahrain) to guard the city's entrance. The lion was carved from black basalt. From Eridu, Southern Mesopotamia, in modern-day Iraq...
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Early Dynastic Mesopotamia | Ancient Documentary | The Sumerian and Akkadian Empires.
The Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia is the modern-day archaeological term for the era in Mesopotamian history — 2900-2334 BCE — during which some of the most significant cultural advances were made including the rise of the cities, the...