Temple foundation tablet
Stone foundation tablet - Dedication by Gudea to commemorate restoration of the Temple of Nindara
Loaned From: The British Museum
Steatite
Lagash II; 2200-2100 BCE
Iraq
The British Museum
Details
Culture/Civilisation
Ancient Mesopotamia
Theme
The Great River Civilisations outside India: Mesopotamia, Egypt and China
Subtheme
Mesopotamia – The Land of the Two Rivers
Case Title
Mesopotamia - Gods, temples and kings
Display Location
Coomaraswamy Hall
Findspot
Ur, Iraq
Measurements
9 x 6.5 x 1.5 cm
Accession Number
1927,1003.7
Description
Temples to their many gods stood at the heart of Mesopotamian society.
Mesopotamians imagined a watery abyss underneath the earth. Temple foundations were secured by bronze mooring-pegs, symbolically connecting the worlds of gods and humans. These pegs were accompanied by tablets like this one.
The stone tablet records that Gudea, ruler of Lagash, 2144–2124 BCE, built a temple dedicated to the god Nindara. Carved in durable materials, the king’s name, linked to the gods, lives on forever.
Curators Comments
