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Ancient Mesopotamian Mythology: The Creation of the Gods
An overview of Mesopotamian mythology: the main gods Anu, Enlil, Enki and Inanna, how divine families were born, and the theogony told in the Enuma Elish.
Cradle of Civilization
Myth and Art
Gods, creation stories, the Gilgamesh epic and Mesopotamian art.
Ancient Mesopotamian Art: The Birthplace of Western Aesthetics
A survey of Mesopotamian art, from cylinder seals and temple statues to inlays and carved reliefs, and a careful look at how far it shaped later Western art.
Ancient Mesopotamian Mythology: The Creation of the World
How Mesopotamian myths describe the making of the world and of people: Marduk's victory over Tiamat, humans formed from clay, and the flood in Atrahasis.
The Ancient Sumerian Epic of Enkidu: A Story of Friendship and Adventure
Enkidu's story in the Epic of Gilgamesh: his making from clay, the friendship with Gilgamesh, the Cedar Forest, the Bull of Heaven and his death.
The Ancient Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh: A Legacy of Literature and Culture
The five separate Sumerian Gilgamesh poems, how they differ from the later Babylonian epic, and what is known about the epic's influence on later literature.
The Ancient Sumerian Goddess Inanna: A Symbol of Fertility and War
Inanna in Sumerian sources: Queen of Heaven at Uruk, her descent to the underworld, courtship of Dumuzi and the hymns of the priestess Enheduanna.
The Ancient Sumerian Goddess Ishtar: A Symbol of Fertility and War
Ishtar as the Akkadian and Assyrian form of Inanna: her temples at Nineveh and Babylon, her role as a war goddess, and how her cult differed from Sumer.
The Enigmatic Stele of the Ancient Sumerians
The Stele of the Vultures, a victory monument of Eannatum of Lagash over Umma, its battle scenes, and what carved monuments show about early warfare and kingship.
The Fascinating World of Ancient Sumerian Mythology
The Sumerian pantheon of An, Enlil, Enki and Nanna, what each god governed, and how Sumerian myths differ from the later Akkadian and Babylonian retellings.
The Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh: A Story of Friendship and Loss
The emotional heart of the Standard Babylonian Gilgamesh: grief for Enkidu, fear of death, the search for Utnapishtim and Gilgamesh's acceptance of human limits.
The Story of the Epic of Gilgamesh: A Mesopotamian Treasure
How the Epic of Gilgamesh survives: the twelve tablets, Ashurbanipal's library at Nineveh, George Smith's 1872 flood tablet and the work of joining fragments.
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Mesopotamia Overview The land between the rivers and how its civilization began. Sumerian Cities Uruk, Eridu, Ur and Nippur, the first great cities. Writing and Law Cuneiform and the earliest law codes. Sumerian History The story of Sumer from early villages to the Ur III state and its rediscovery. Sumerian Innovations Farming, mathematics, technology and legal practice in Sumer. Ancient Crafts and Technology Metals, glass, cloth, concrete and the tools that built early civilizations. Women and Children in the Ancient World Family life, education and the women who shaped ancient history. Archaeology Methods and Dating The scientific tools used to date and reconstruct the ancient past.