The Mesopotamian collections of the British Museum are exceptionally rich and diverse and we are proud to be able to display and make them available for study to visitors and scholars. Because of the depth of the collections it has been possible to bring together a selection of objects which magnificently illustrate almost 3000 years of ancient Mesopotamian history.
The clay writing tablets and beautiful artefacts, from tiny Sumerian cylinder seals to huge Assyrian sculptures, all testify to the highly sophisticated cultures which flourished thousands of years ago in the region which today is Iraq.
You can also search the British Museum's collection for more Mesopotamian objects.
Tablet - Nebuchadnezzar and Jerusalem
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Tablet - Nebuchadnezzar and Jerusalem
This tablet is part of a chronicle of the main events of the years 605 – 595 BC. It is especially important because it records Nebuchadnezzar’s first capture of Jerusalem in 597 BC and the deportation to Babylon of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, his family and other prominent people. This is described in the Bible and marks the beginning of the Babylonian captivity.
Limestone votive statue of a woman, c. 2500 BC
Image: © The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved.
Limestone votive statue of a woman
Sumerians placed stone statues of themselves in temples to demonstrate their devotion to the gods.
Tablet - Steatite foundation
Image: © The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved.
Tablet - Steatite foundation
"For the goddess Nimintaba his lady, Shulgi, mighty man, king of Ur, king of the lands of Sumer and Akkad, built her temple for her".
Woman’s headdress
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Woman’s headdress
Carnelian and lapis lazuli beads with gold leaf pendants worn by an attendant in the Royal Tomb known as the "King’s Grave". Leaves, fruits and floral rosettes were popular decorative motifs. A great quantity of jewellery was found on the heads of some of the women and it is probable that wigs were worn to build up the hair.
Gold and lapis lazuli collar or choker
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Gold and lapis lazuli collar or choker
The gold triangles are made from a diamond shaped, corrugated gold sheet, folded to create horizontal tubes through which the strings pass.
Pair of gold double-crescent earrings
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Pair of gold double-crescent earrings
This type of earring is sometimes referred to as "boat-shaped" due to its resemblance to an open boat. They were made by shaping sheet gold over a bitumen core.
Man's headdress
Image: © The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved.
Man's headdress
In the Royal Tombs men wore these diadems of gold chain and carnelian with large beads of lapis lazuli and gold.
Gold cup with spout
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Gold cup with spout
Found in the death pit of the tomb of Queen Puabi. The long spout would have been used like a drinking straw, probably for drinking beer.
Glazed wall plaque from a temple
Image: © The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved.
Glazed wall plaque from a temple
The design is of palmettes like those of the Sacred Tree and there is an inscription of Asurnasirpal II.
Statue - King Ashurnasirpal II
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Statue - King Ashurnasirpal II
This rare example of an Assyrian sculpture in the round was placed in the Temple of Ishtar at Nimrud where Ashurnasirpal established his capital city. An inscription on his chest gives his titles and lineage, ending thus: "king of the universe, king of Assyria, conqueror from the opposite bank of the Tigris as far as Mount Lebanon and the Great Sea, all lands from east to west he subdued".
Jewellery set of cylinder and stamp seals
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Jewellery set of cylinder and stamp seals
When Layard married Enid Guest in 1869 he presented her with this necklace, bracelet and earrings, made up of ancient seals with gold settings imitating Assyrian motifs.
Ivory panel showing a woman at a window
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Ivory panel showing a woman at a window
She has an Egyptian hairstyle and the window sill is supported by palm columns. This panel would have decorated furniture
Glazed ceramic jar
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Glazed ceramic jar
Small glazed jars with floral or leaf patterns reveal the skill of the Assyrian potters.
Bronze lion weight
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Bronze lion weight
This is one of a set made for King Shalmaneser V (726 –722 BC). Inscribed on it is "Five mina of the king" in both Assyrian cuneiform and Aramaic.
Tablet - Stela of Ashurbanipal
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Tablet - Stela of Ashurbanipal
The inscription records that he restored the Esagil temple of Marduk, the most important temple in Babylon. The old Sumerian name means "House Whose Top is High".