Other Mesopotamian Artifacts

Welcome to the section of the website that explores other extraordinary artifacts found in Mesopotamia. From the Lyres of Ur, the Lamassau creature, and that famous ‘handbag’, these items really do give a different perspective on the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia.

One of the Ram in a Thicket statues. Source: British Museum / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

12 November, 2023 - 21:54 Aleksa Vučković

Ram in a Thicket: A Mesopotamian Legacy from the Ancient City of Ur

The treasures of ancient cultures are a source of never ending inspiration. It is such a wonder to see the magnificence of the art that was created in the dawn of civilization, so long before our...

26 February, 2022 - 21:59 johnblack

Ancient Reptilians: The Unanswered Mystery of the 7,000-Year-Old Ubaid Lizardmen

It is a commonly accepted view in mainstream archaeology that civilization started in ancient Mesopotamia with the great civilization of Sumer in what is now modern-day Iraq. However, at the...

15 November, 2013 - 01:01 johnblack

Ancient Mesopotamian Amulet found in Oman

An ancient amulet inscribed with cuneiform writing and dating back to the Mesopotamian civilization has been found during excavations in Dibbia, Musandam in Oman. It has been reported in the times of...

30 June, 2018 - 01:59 dhwty

A Bull-Headed Lyre: Reconstructing the Sound and Style of Ancient Mesopotamia

A musician may have strummed its strings all the way back in the 3rd millennium BC. This means that the Bull’s Lyre, aka the Golden Lyre of Ur, is one of the oldest string instruments in the world...

5 May, 2019 - 18:55 dhwty

The Famous Burney Relief: Who Was the Mysterious Mesopotamian Goddess?

The Burney Relief (known also as the Queen of the Night) is a terracotta plaque from ancient Mesopotamia . The relief is dominated by a nude female figure with wings and talons . She is usually...

29 December, 2016 - 21:55 Natalia Klimczak

Scattered but Not Forgotten: The Amazing Ancient Persian Gold and Silver Oxus Treasure

An incredible treasure discovered near the Oxus River is one of the most precious collections of ancient Persian artifacts. Only 180 pieces of jewelry, plaques, and statuettes, and about 200 coins...

Inset; Bucket/ banduddû from the north wall of the Palace of king Sargon II, and a four-winged genie in the Bucket and cone motif.

25 July, 2016 - 16:51 Freddy Silva

Banduddu: Solving the Mystery of the Babylonian Container

One of the great riddles in Mesopotamian sacred art concerns the image of anthropomorphic winged figures called Apkallu holding a mullilu (tree fruit) in one hand, and a banduddû — a container — in...

The Gate of Nimrud (Metropolitan Museum)

16 February, 2016 - 03:53 Natalia Klimczak

The Mythical Lamassu: Impressive Symbols for Mesopotamian Protection

Lamassu are human-headed, eagle-winged, bulls or lions that once protected cities in Mesopotamia. They were believed to be very powerful creatures, and served both as a clear reminder of the king’s...

The statue of Ebih-Il in prayer in the Louvre, Paris. Source: Left; Louvre Museum/CC BY-SA 2.0, Right; Public Domain

27 April, 2023 - 18:59 Aleksa Vučković

The Exquisite Statue of Ebih-Il, an Important Heirloom of Ancient Mari

The ancient realm of Mesopotamia is still very much clouded in enigma. It existed so far back in time, that our knowledge about its cities and civilizations will never be 100% clear. Still,...

30 June, 2018 - 17:32 dhwty

The Great Death Pit of Ur: Mass Human Sacrifice in Ancient Mesopotamia

During Sir Charles Leonard Woolley’s excavation of Ur from 1922 to 1934, any burial without a tomb chamber was given the name ‘death pit’ (known also as ‘grave pits’). Arguably the most impressive...

Left: Front angle of the reconstructed Bull Headed Lyre found in the Sumerian Royal Tombs of Ur in Mesopotamia, c. 2500 BC. Source: Penn Museum

13 January, 2020 - 23:00 Niels Bjerre Jo...

Satire in Mesopotamia: Unravelling the Bull Headed Lyre of Ur

Many of us tend to think that the people of early cultures were less sophisticated than us. The wealthiest people may have lived lives of luxury with gold and slaves, but admittedly we cannot really...

The so-called Sivatherium of Kish (Field Museum of Natural History/Edwin H. Colbert) compared to a modern representation of a Sivatherium in the Warsaw Museum of Evolution. (Shalom/CC BY-SA 3.0)

6 February, 2022 - 14:00 Aleksa Vučković

The Sivatherium of Kish: Did Sumerians Tame a Prehistoric Giraffe?

The world is big. Even in this modern day and age, we still don’t have a clue about what lurks in the remote corners of this planet. The oceans, vast and enigmatic, have only been partially explored...

A reconstruction of the headdress and necklace of Puabi, the British Museum. (JMail/CC BY SA 3.0) A lion’s head found at the royal cemetery. (Sumerian Shakespeare) Bull's head of the Queen's lyre from Pu-abi's grave PG 800, the Royal Cemetery at Ur, Southern Mesopotamia, Iraq. The British Museum, London. (Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg)/CC BY SA 4.0)

27 June, 2018 - 22:59 dhwty

Revealing the Secrets of Sumerian Riches: Treasures from the Royal Cemetery of Ur

The Royal Cemetery of Ur received its name because of the large quantity of treasures that were discovered there during the excavations headed by Sir Charles Leonard Woolley between 1922 and 1934...