A Sumerian Palace and the "A" cemetery at Kish, Mesopotamia

194 A SUMERIAN PALACE AND "A" CEMETERY, KISH
PLATE XLI
1. Shell. 13 X 7 mm. A long-homed antelope in front of a lion facing to the left in the
impression. Between one of the antelopes and the lion is a shrub-like object. At the
top of the seal is a crescent. Burial 68 (Reg. No. 2169; Baghdad).
2. Same. 2.10 x 1.20 cm. Two lions with bodies crossed, each attacking an antelope. At
the end of the scene there are a scorpion in the upper register and an object resembling
an octopus below. Burial 107 (Reg. No. 2400A; Baghdad).
3. Lapis lazuH. 2.75 x 1.40 cm. Two lions with bodies crossed, each attacking an antelope.
An animal which may be a lioness seems to be assisting. A portion of the seal is divided
into two registers by a double line. Upper register blank; lower register and bottom
occupied by a scorpion. An object that resembles a tree occurs between the lioness(?)
and one of the antelopes. Burial 107 (Reg. No. 2399; Baghdad).
4. Same. 2.10 x 1.30 cm. An animal that seems to represent a bull standing on its hind legs
holds an antelope on either side of it. One of the antelopes is being attacked by a lion.
A portion of the seal is divided into two registers by a double line. Upper register
blank; lower register occupied by a scorpion. Burial 134 (Reg. No. 2697B; Baghdad).
5. Limestone. 2.20 x 1.40 cm. A man, seated on a stool, apparently engaged in milking a
long-horned antelope. Behind him is another man, dressed in a long-fringed garment,
apparently superintending the operation. In the background is an animal at the top
which may be a dog. Other objects may represent a dagger and trees. The long festoonlike
objects seem to have some analogy with the boat-like objects found on some of
the seals found last season. Burial 74 (Reg. No. 2149; Oxford).
6. Shell. 3 X 1.60 cm. This is one of the most interesting seals found in the burials. Upper
register: a rectangular object may represent a Ziggurat(?) viewed from the top. On the
left, two people dressed in short kilts are apparently adoring it. On the right and left of
the Ziggurat(?) are similar figures apparently just about to mount it. Lower register:
a man is about to plunge a knife into an animal lying on an altar. To the right are three
human figures, the central one seems to be held by the other two. In fair preservation.
Burial 7 (Reg. No. 2038; Field).
7. Same. 2.70 x 1.40 cm. A winged eagle holds the tail of an antelope on either side of it,
whose head is turned backward. In front of one of the antelopes is the figure of a man
dressed in a short kilt with a single fringe and holding one of the antelopes by the horns
(Reg. No. 2321; Field).
8. Same. 3.50 x 2.70 cm. This is by far the finest seal found in mound "A" up to the present.
The central motif is a human figure represented full face with a head-dress of plumes(?).
The figure is nude with the exception of a triple girdle around his loins. A long beard
is worn, and the face is shown with apparently three eyes, two in the normal position
and one in the middle of the forehead (see Plate XLV, Nos. 1 and 2). The figure is
holding two bulls (?}, one on each side of him, by what appear to be bridles. The bulls
are rearing on their hind legs. Farther to the left is a lion in a similar posture, with his
fore paw held by a human figure similar to the one in the central design. The body of
this lion crosses the figure of an antelope. The second human figure, as well as holding
the first lion, is about to stab another with a dagger held in the left hand. Farther on
again, the seal is divided into two registers, the upper part of which is filled in with an
inscription of archaic characters. Below this is a minute scene representing a man
holding two antelopes by the throat. Unfortunately, this seal did not come from a grave,
but was found at the edge of mound "A," just above the footing of chamber 25 of the
palace. It had probably been washed out from a burial, and there is no doubt that it
belonged to the burial period (Reg. No. 2558; Baghdad).
9. Lapis lazuli. 13 x 9 mm. This seal is unique in that the scene runs down the axis of the
seal instead of across it. A figure of a man, full face, holding a dead antelope on either
side. Below his feet there is another antelope (Reg. No. 2195; Field).
10. Same. 1.65 x 1 cm. A series of rope-like festoons with indefinite markings above and
below them. Burial 100 (Reg. No. 2408; Oxford).
11. Same. 2.30 x .90 cm. Two registers separated by a double line. In each register two
double zig-zag lines cross one another chevron-wise. Burial 87 (Reg. No. 2249; Baghdad).