Girsu
Tello
Iraq · Dhi Qar
In brief
Girsu was one of the important religious centres of the state of Lagash. Excavations here have yielded buildings, written records and crafted objects documenting Sumerian architecture, administration and art.
What was found?
- 1Ningirsu's Eninnu Temple
The plan of the temple dedicated to the god Ningirsu was uncovered. The structure, commissioned by Gudea around 2125 BCE, is a fundamental discovery for understanding the sacred center of Girsu.
- 2Mudbrick walls of the royal palace
Mudbrick walls belonging to the palace were identified at Tablet Hill. This discovery showed that architectural remains also survive in areas heavily disturbed by earlier excavations.
- 3Administrative cuneiform tablets
More than 200 administrative tablets were recovered from the spoil heaps of earlier excavations. These documents, which preserve written records of the city's administration, were taken to the Iraq Museum.
- 4Enmetena's silver vase
The silver vase found at Girsu bears decorations depicting animals and lion-headed eagles. Its Sumerian inscription states that the vessel belonged to Ningirsu's tableware; the object documents both metalworking and temple worship.
What does it point to?
The temple, palace and administrative documents show that religious institutions and urban administration can be studied together at Girsu. The inscribed silver vase also reveals that valuable materials and skilled craftsmanship were used for objects dedicated to the gods.
What did it teach us?
- Gave tangible form to the architecture of the sacred precinct by revealing the plan of Ningirsu's Temple.
- Showed that important written documents can survive even in the spoil heaps of earlier excavations.
- Documented how the functions of temple objects can be understood through their dedicatory inscriptions.
Images
Latest news / selected archive
In 2023, the remains of a royal palace approximately 4,500 years old, identified during work in 2022, and more than 200 cuneiform tablets recovered from old excavation spoil were announced.
Record
- Culture
- Sumerian
- First modern dig
- 1877
- Team / historical
- Sébastien Rey; British Museum, Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, and Getty
- Coordinates
- 31.5620°, 46.1776°
Sources
- britishmuseum.org
- en.wikipedia.org
- British Museum araştırma arşivi — The Temple of Ningirsu
- Louvre Müzesi — Enmetena Vazosu koleksiyon kaydı
Nearby excavations
- —
- —
- 12.000
From beneath the soil: latest discoveries
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