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Mesopotamian Artifacts

Welcome to our exploration of Mesopotamian artifacts, where we delve into the rich archaeological discoveries and ancient treasures that offer a glimpse into the material culture and artistic achievements of the people of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia, has left behind a vast array of artifacts that bear witness to the remarkable craftsmanship and cultural legacy of this ancient civilization.

In this section of our website, we invite you to embark on a journey through the world of Mesopotamian artifacts, where each article unveils a different piece of the archaeological puzzle. From intricate sculptures and stunning jewelry to meticulously inscribed clay tablets and decorated pottery, these artifacts tell stories of ancient beliefs, societal practices, and the technological advancements of Mesopotamian civilization.

The Cyrus Cylinder. Source: Prioryman/CC BY-SA 3.0
13 May, 2024 - 17:55 dhwty

The Cyrus Cylinder and the Ancient Proclamation of Human Rights

More than 2 millennia before the French Revolution introduced the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizens , an ancient Near Eastern monarch issued a charter that is considered to be the...
The Mesopotamian military represented here used weapons of war to achieve great success. Source: WILD HARE/Adobe Stock
3 January, 2024 - 16:57 Aleksa Vučković

Mesopotamian Military Mastery - The Ancient Reinvention of Warfare

Creating a great empire in ancient times was no simple task, and it usually involved a lot of warfare. Ancient Mesopotamia, called by many the cradle of civilization, was also the cradle of organized...
Sulimaniya brick B318, part of the collection holding the signature of the geomagnetic anomaly. Source: MIT License
19 December, 2023 - 13:55 Sahir

Ancient Mesopotamian Bricks Record 3,000-Year-Old Geomagnetic Anomaly

A geomagnetic anomaly that occurred between 3,000 and 2,500 years ago has shed light on ancient Mesopotamia in a way that has never been explored before. Analysis of ancient bricks from Mesopotamia,...
Ernst Stötzner during scanning a cuneiform tablet in order to decipher the text. Source: Maike Glöckner/Uni Halle
3 December, 2023 - 13:56 ancient origins

Ancient Cuneiform Tablets Instantly Deciphered By Revolutionary Methods

New artificial intelligence software is now able to decipher difficult-to-read texts on cuneiform tablets, almost in an instant. Instead of photos, the AI system uses 3D models of the tablets,...
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...
Mesopotamian clay balls have been unearthed in Iran. Source: Fair use
7 November, 2023 - 14:00 Joanna Gillan

Mesopotamian Clay Balls: Ancient Relics or Prehistoric Hard Drives?

Research conducted in late 2013 offered intriguing clues to decoding the secrets of the Mesopotamian clay balls, which date back 5,500 years. The study, which used CT scanning to look inside the clay...
The Great Flood. Source: Faith Stock/Adobe Stock
17 October, 2023 - 15:04 Joanna Gillan

How Sumerian Tablets Told the Story of The Great Flood

The world's first known flood myth can be traced back to the Sumerians around 2000 BC. Sumerian tablets recount captivating tales of human beginnings, the creation of mankind, and the profound...
The Taylor Prism was discovered in 1830 at Nineveh and is currently housed at the British Museum in London. It tells the story of King Sennacherib’s third campaign and his conquests in Judah. Source: Public domain
4 September, 2023 - 14:53 Aleksa Vučković

Sennacherib's Prisms Reveal the Glorious Reign of an Assyrian King

Imagine if all of the world’s ancient cultures and civilizations had had well-developed writing systems. Then envision the marvels we would know about today, the hidden secrets and remarkable tales...
Aerial view of the structure at Tel Shimron supporting the passageway to the corbelled vault. Credit: Eyecon. Source: Eyecon
23 August, 2023 - 22:55 Nathan Falde

Israel's Tel Shimron Excavations Reveal Ancient Architectural Marvel Dating to 1,800 BC

Archaeologists participating in the ongoing Tel Shimron excavations in the Jezreel Valley of northern Israel recently unearthed the first section of an arched, vaulted passageway with steps that they...
Ancient Mesopotamia Amulet
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...
Ubaid Lizardmen Source: CC by SA 4.0
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...
From the royal tombs of Ur, the Standard of Ur mosaic, made of lapis lazuli and shell, shows peacetime.
3 August, 2018 - 13:57 dhwty

A Functional and Fertile Crescent: Technological Advancements in the Cradle of Civilization

The Fertile Crescent is the name given to the arc-shaped area of land that stretched across the Middle East from the northern end of the Gulf in the East to the Nile Valley in the West. It was here...
Instructions of Shuruppak: 4,600 Years Ago, A Sumerian King Instructed His Son on How to Behave
4 January, 2017 - 03:51 dhwty

Instructions of Shuruppak: 4,600 Years Ago, A Sumerian King Instructed His Son on How to Behave

The Instructions of Shuruppak are a set of 4,600-year-old Sumerian proverbs given by a king to his son, which essentially set out how he should behave. The ancient inscriptions were engraved in...
Reconstruction of Noah's Ark
27 January, 2014 - 02:55 aprilholloway

Noah’s Ark to be reconstructed following instructions on ancient Babylonian tablet

Work has begun on a full-scale reproduction of Noah’s Ark according to an ancient manual written on clay tablet dating back 3,700 years. The reconstruction will form the basis of a new television...
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,...
Detail of a man depicted on an Uruk vase, Pergamon Museum. The Uruk civilization arose as it expertly adapted to the new climate.
19 October, 2017 - 18:56 Rob Mcroberts

Rising to the Challenge: Innovative Civilizations Advanced Through Climate Change

Beginning around 90,000 years ago, during an interglacial period, Anatomically Modern Humans were able to take advantage of the favorable climatic conditions and migrate throughout Africa and into...
The Kesh Temple Hymn: 5,600-Year-Old Sumerian Hymn Praises Enlil, Ruler of Gods
3 January, 2017 - 14:45 Veronica Parkes

The Kesh Temple Hymn: 4,600-Year-Old Sumerian Hymn Praises Enlil, Ruler of Gods

Like many foundational inventions that we use every day, such as wheels and law codes, the Ancient Sumerians living in Ancient Mesopotamia, the so-called cradle of civilization, created the oldest...
The leader of the excavation, archaeologist Daniele Morandi Bonacossi, and one of the Assyrian relief carvings unearthed in the northern Kurdistan region of Iraq. Source: Alberto Savioli / Land of Nineveh Archaeological Project / University of Udine
22 January, 2020 - 19:05 ashley cowie

3000-Year-Old Assyrian Reliefs Unearthed in ISIS Stomping Ground

Archaeologists have unearthed ancient carved Assyrian reliefs of a king in a procession of gods and goddesses riding on animals and mythical creatures. The Assyrian carvings are almost 3,000 years...
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...
An aerial photo of the Tel Lachish in central Israel, which was quickly conquered by the Assyrians with their powerful siege ramp in 701 BC. The Assyrian siege ramp is the focus of a new study published in Oxford Journal of Archaeology. Source: The Lachish Expedition / Southern Adventist University
10 November, 2021 - 17:57 Sahir

New Study Reveals How Legendary Assyrian Siege Ramp Overcame Lachish

Israeli archaeologists have revealed the secrets behind the Assyrian siege ramp that conquered the ancient Judean town of Lachish. A recent study published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology shows...
Ancient Sumerian Love Poem
9 August, 2014 - 13:37 aprilholloway

The 4,000-Year-Old Sumerian Love Poem and the Sacred Ritual of Marriage

'Bridegroom, dear to my heart; goodly is your beauty, honeysweet; lion, dear to my heart'. These are the passionate words of a lover to a king, from more than 4,000 years ago, in the oldest known...
Representation of the cuneiform inscription discovery about the ancient city of Karkemish
4 May, 2019 - 13:16 ancient-origins

Ancient Inscription Details Conquest of Assyrian King Sargon II

In "A New Historical Inscription of Sargon II from Karkemish," published in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies , Gianni Marchesi translates a recently discovered inscription of the Assyrian King...
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...
Mesopotamian seals and cuneiform tablets found in Marad, Iraq. Source: Universita di Pisa
4 December, 2019 - 13:59 Ed Whelan

Cuneiform Tablets and ‘Envelopes’ Tell of Mesopotamian Sophistication

A team of Italian and Iraqi archaeologists has unearthed hundreds of cuneiform tablets in central Iraq. They also uncovered some clay coverings and seals with the tablets. The collection of cuneiform...

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