Inscribed brick

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This ceramic brick was found during excavations at Nippur, the religious capital of Mesopotamia in the third and early second millennia B.C. Nippur was home to Enlil, the chief god of the pantheon. Rulers from other Mesopotamian cities sought to promote their kingship and garner this god’s favor by maintaining, repairing, and at times rebuilding his temple, the Ekur. The repair of a temple created an opportunity for a ruler to bury his own inscription within the walls, leaving a record for future generations. The brick is stamped with an inscription written in the Sumerian language. It names the Ur III period ruler Ur-Nammu (ca. 2112-2095 B.C.). Royal power fragmented after the collapse of the Akkadian empire (ca. 2350-2150 B.C.). Ur-Nammu is credited for the reunification of Mesopotamia, an accomplishment evoked by the title "King of Sumer and Akkad", new to this king. Today, Ur-Nammu is known for his many building works, particularly at Ur, the new royal capital. Ur-Nammu the king of Ur, the king of Sumer and Akkad, (is) the one who built the temple of Enlil (translation adapted from Cuneiform Texts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Vol. I, No. 116)

Ancient Near Eastern Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art cares for approximately 7,000 works ranging in date from the eighth millennium B.C. through the centuries just beyond the emergence of Islam in the seventh century A.D. Objects in the collection were created by people in the area that today comprises Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean coast, Yemen, and Central Asia. From the art of some of the world's first cities to that of great empires, the department's holdings illustrate the beauty and craftsmanship as well as the profound interconnections, cultural and religious diversity, and lasting legacies that characterize the ancient art of this vast region.

Metropolitan Museum of Art