Sumerian Figures

As the earliest known civilization in human history, Sumer flourished in the southern region of Mesopotamia, in what is present-day southern Iraq. It is here that the foundations of urban life, writing, law, and complex society were laid.

In this section of our website, we invite you to discover the fascinating world of Sumerian figures, whose contributions shaped the course of history and left an enduring impact on human civilization. From visionary rulers and revered gods to ingenious inventors and accomplished artisans, these individuals embody the spirit and ingenuity of the Sumerian people.

Ordered universe and cuneiform (Public Domain) and Akkadian cylinder featuring Anunnaki.

21 May, 2021 - 01:52 Jason Jarrell

Anunnaki Revealed: Who Were These Beings of Ancient Astronaut Theory? – Part I

The modern era has witnessed an incredible surge in the popularity of all forms of media concerning the mythology of the ancient Mesopotamians. Fueling this ever-growing trend are the writings of a...

Mesopotamian relief of Assyrian warriors. Credit: kmiragaya / Adobe Stock

14 January, 2021 - 23:08 Sarah P Young

Ancient Mesopotamia and the Rise of Civilization

In ancient times, Mesopotamia, meaning ‘land between two rivers’, was a vast region that lay between the Tigris and Euphrates river systems, and it is where civilization emerged over 7,000 years ago...

The Gebel el-Arak Knife (Rama/CC BY SA 3.0) and detail of one side of the ivory handle. (Rama/CC BY SA 3.0)

12 July, 2020 - 14:04 Aleksa Vučković

Gebel El-Arak Knife – A Link to Ancient Egypt’s Distant Beginnings

The ancient, far reaching civilizations of the world are for many people a continuous source of inspiration. Ancient, ageless myths and wonders of emerging societies and archaic technologies are not...

Ritual site - cultic platform found under the war god’s temple. Source: British Museum.

30 March, 2020 - 22:56 Ed Whelan

Ritual Site Dedicated to Mesopotamian War God Discovered in Iraq

Archaeologists working in Iraq have made an intriguing discovery. They have found a sacred area that was dedicated to a Mesopotamian war god. The site is up to 5,000 years-old and is in one of the...

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by Wenzel Peter, Vatican Museum

17 February, 2020 - 23:08 christianobrien

What Happened in Eden? Alternative Translation Tells a Very Different Story

All modern concepts of the Garden of Eden stem from a few verses in the biblical Book of Genesis, none of which is entirely free from ambiguity. The ancient Hebraic documents, from which the early...

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 world’s oldest pearl has been discovered at Marawah Island, United Arab Emirates. Source: Arundhati Chaudhuri / CC BY-SA 2.0.

21 October, 2019 - 18:47 ashley cowie

World’s Oldest Pearl Found in Abu Dhabi is 8,000-Years-Old!

Archaeologists in Abu Dhabi have found an 8,000-year-old pearl - the world’s most ancient specimen. According to Emirati archaeologists the exquisite natural pearl is proof that valuable objects have...

“The Victory of Joshua over the Amorites”

26 July, 2019 - 22:01 Bryan Hill

The Fierce Amorites and the First King of the Babylonian Empire

The Amorites, also called Amurru or Martu, were an ancient Semitic-speaking people who dominated the history of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine from about 2000 to 1600 BC. Tribal nomads who forced...

Closeup of glyphs on a Mayan calendar. Credit: zimmytws / Adobe Stock

21 July, 2019 - 15:03 Alicia McDermott

Artificial Intelligence Inching Closer to Deciphering Long Lost Languages

With new technology available to us, we’re inching closer to the end of the days when deciphering ancient languages is a painstaking task filled with frustration and confusion. Nifty machines...

Representational image of high priestess and poet Enheduanna.

25 June, 2019 - 17:35 Kerry Sullivan

Enheduanna: High Priestess of the Moon and the First Known Author

The ancient Sumerian poet Enheduanna has a unique claim to fame: she was the first author in the world known by name. While there were previous instances of poems and stories written down, Enheduanna...

Representational image of Enki.

18 June, 2019 - 19:39 dhwty

Enki: The Epic Mesopotamian Water God Who Saved Humanity

In the belief system of the Sumerians, Enki (known also as Ea by the Akkadians and Babylonians) was regarded to be one of the most important deities. Originally Enki was worshipped as a god of fresh...

Royal Palace at Ebla. Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

21 May, 2019 - 19:05 ancient-origins

First Kingdoms: The Forgotten Mesopotamian Kingdom of Ebla

Spectacular things were happening in Mesopotamia in the period we call the Early Bronze Age, particularly in the southern part of it, commonly called Babylonia. It was here that the wealthy,...

Sumerian civilization artifact.

20 May, 2019 - 14:06 dhwty

Sumer: Where Written Language, Arithmetic and Civilization Were Born

The Sumerian civilization (known also as Sumer) was one of the earliest civilizations in the world. This ancient civilization emerged in the region of southern Mesopotamia (modern day southern Iraq...

Sumerian tablets, Sumerian script is known as cuneiform. Source: Pixabay/ CC0

9 May, 2019 - 22:56 dhwty

Sumerian Tablets: A Deeper Understanding of the Oldest Known Written Language

Ancient languages are captivating despite the fact that studying them or learning about them is a long, complex process. Of course, many students just get briefly acquainted with this subject and...

Sumerian warriors

27 April, 2019 - 15:13 dhwty

The Sumerian Seven: The Top-Ranking Gods in the Sumerian Pantheon

The Sumerian religion was polytheistic in nature, and the Sumerians worshipped a great number of deities. These deities were anthropomorphic beings, and were meant to represent the natural forces of...

Assyrian Cuneiform

25 April, 2019 - 23:54 dhwty

Deciphering Cuneiform to Get a Handle on Life in Ancient Mesopotamia

Cuneiform is a system of writing that was invented by the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia. Believed to have been created sometime during the 4th millennium BC (between 3500 and 3000 BC), this script...

Mesopotamian god

26 March, 2019 - 12:53 dhwty

Utu - Shamash: Mesopotamian God of the Sun, Justice and the Underworld

Utu was a solar deity and god of justice in the ancient Mesopotamian pantheon, and also served as a judge in the Underworld. Whilst Utu was the god’s name in Sumerian, he was known in Akkadian as...

Beer brewing in ancient England.

4 February, 2019 - 18:54 Ed Whelan

Oldest Evidence of Beer in Britain Found By Accident During Road Project

A road construction project in Britain has uncovered the first evidence of the brewing of beer . Workers uncovered some evidence of charred residue and other matter that would indicate brewing,...

Many stories from mythology are misinterpreted. ‘Norandino and Lucina Discovered by the Ogre’ (1624) by Giovanni Lanfranco. (Public Domain) Image of the Sumerian god Enki. Modern reproduction of a detail of the Adda seal (c. 2300 BC). (Public Domain) Assyrian relief carving from Nimrud, 883–859 BC, depicting a so-called handbag. (Metropolitan Museum of Art) ‘Eve Tempted by the Serpent’ (1799-1800) by William Blake. (Public Domain) By Priscilla Vogelbacher

30 January, 2019 - 14:00 P.R.I.S.S.

The Nephilim, Anunnaki and More: Four Common Mistakes Made When Interpreting Mythology

The 19th century gave us some of the best work on mythology, but much of it has been ignored over time. Since around the 1960s, when excitement was at its peak regarding space travel and the moon...

The astronomical ceiling at the Pronaos, Detail of the first Band west from the center. From left to right: two wind creatures (the winged ram with four heads personifies the south wind), the snake- and frog-headed eight goddesses and gods of the Ogdoad who ruled the cosmos before the creation of the world and Osiris seated on a throne sails across the sky as personification of the full moon accompanied by the seated goddesses Nephtys (left) and Isis on the right (Maat stands near the bow of the ship). Siri

2 January, 2019 - 18:58 Walter Cruttenden

Changing Colors and Scampering Across the Night Sky: What Did the Ancients Say about Sirius?

In Egypt, Sirius was the Star of Isis, Isis being the companion and rescuer of the god Osiris. In a very deep way, Osiris was Egypt. His body was believed to be the body of Egypt, an actual overlay...

Re-creation of the port at Eridu.

11 August, 2018 - 22:58 dhwty

Eridu: The Sumerian Garden of Eden and the Oldest City in the World?

Today, Eridu is often considered to be one of the oldest permanent settlements in Mesopotamia, and perhaps even in the world. The ancient Sumerians also believed that Eridu was the first city in the...

A Pazyryk horseman from the Asian steppe in a felt painting from a burial around 300 BC. (Public Domain). Krishna with cow. (CC BY 2.0) Hathor as a cow, Papyrus of Ani (Public Domain)

27 May, 2018 - 23:01 Steven Keith

Horses, Cows and Celestial Creatures at the Dawn of Civilizations

When I think of the Aryans of the ancient times, I think of Central Asia, the steppe, a horse culture that could enable their language, Sanskrit to spread, at a gallop, so to speak, westward and...

Re-creation of the port at the Sumerian city of Eridu.

21 May, 2018 - 13:59 Mark Oliver

What Was Life Like in Sumer, History’s First Civilization?

Life went through some incredible changes when the first cities were built. Up until then, nearly every person had to work as a farmer or a hunter, moving from place to place in a constant struggle...

A cuneiform tablet seized from Hobby Lobby. This tablet contains economic/administrative information.

2 May, 2018 - 13:58 Alicia McDermott

450 Stolen Sumerian Tablets are on Their Way Back to Iraq, but it is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

450 Stolen Sumerian tablets are being repatriated to Iraq with a ceremony in Washington D.C. on May 2. Many of the cuneiform texts come from a mysterious city called Irisagrig – a land from which...

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