The single most significant work of Mesopotamian literature. The Epic of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, and his friendship with a wild man named Enkidu, their adventures together, the death of Enkidu and Gilgamesh’s quest for immortality. Dated to be around the early third millennium B.C, the popularity of the Epic is proven through the findings of fragments as far as Syria, Turkey, and Israel. The Epic is a narrative spread over twelve tablets of Sumerian cuneiform, and later translated. The author of the Epic is thought to be a man named Sin-leqe-unninni.  

Epic of Enki and Ninhursag, an Assyrian myth that explores the themes of creation. The myth provides insight on the relationship the Assyrians had with the gods and the sacredness of the gods themselves. It tells the story of Enki, the god of water, wisdom, and magic and Ninhursag the mother goddess associated with fertility and the earth. The myth is among one of the earliest discovered and created by the Mesopotamian civilization in the early third millennium and considered one of the oldest literary works in human history.

The Lamassu at the Palace of Sargon is a protective statue figure that would have sat at the entrance of the palace doors. King Sargon II who ruled roughly from 721-705 B.C established the city-state of Dur Sharrukin in modern day Khorsabad, in Assyria and was responsible for some of the times famous Palace Ziggurat’s. The Lamassu at the gates of Sargon at Khorsabad, is a massive, winged bull sculpture with a human head and were considered “guardians of the gate “and would face the visitors who entered the palace. These protective figures all had similar qualities: man, the lord of creation; the eagle, monarch of the skies; the lion, king of beasts; and the bull; fecundator of the herds. The structure was likely carved from stones, usually materials such as limestone or alabaster.

Til Barsip Wall Painting in the Palace. Large Hunting Scene with Chariots is a depiction of an Assyrian hunting scene and were excavated in modern day Tell Ahmar, Iraq and believed to be from around the rule of Sargon II (721-705 B.C). The painting, like many others, exist in fragments and a relatively small number of Assyrian surviving works exist. Regardless, the depiction of hunting scenes in Assyrian art was used to express the strength and power of Assyrian kings in battle and almost always displayed injured or hurt lions. The plastered surface of the walls is first coated with a lime wash, and the flat colours were laid over. Which included blues, red, blacks and green or brown. However, yellow never occurs.

Hymns to Ishtar, is a poetic composition dedicated to the Assyrian goddess Ishtar (Inanna), known as the goddess of love fertility and war. The hymns were composed on clay tablets in Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform. She was worshiped among many city- states and empires of the Mesopotamian era. The Hymn praises her beauty and divinity as well as asking her to protect the king and recounting her deeds. The Hymn to Ishtar date back to early or middle parts of the third millennial B.C. The hymns were produced over a span of many years, which reflected the goddess’s importance to the peoples of ancient Assyria.  

The Eleven- Stringed Harp found in the “royal” cemetery of Ur by Sir Leonard Woolley found in the tomb of Queen Shubad. Thought to be from the first half of the third millennium the instrument is one of only a few surviving. The soundbox was decorated with mosaic made of lapis lazuli, shell, and red stones. The front is decorated with panels representing mythological scenes and a gold leafed calf head over a wooden core, the hair and beard made of lapis lazuli. Finally, there are eleven strings fastened upright by golden- headed nails. Lyres and harps were beloved instruments by Assyrian kings, queens, gods, and goddesses. The instruments, famously named usum-gal-kala(m)-ma, who the god Ningirsu was believed to love, and thought to produce “perfect music”.

The Crown of Queen Hama the wife of King Shalmaneser III who ruled from 858-824 B.C. Hama’s burial coffin was adorned with gorgeous riches including anklets, gold jugs and jewelled rings. Among the riches Hama’s gold crown that depicts grapes, leaves, flowers pomegranates and goddesses believed to be Ishtar. Hama’s crown found in the ancient city of Nimrud, symbolizes the power and wealth of the kings and queens of ancient Mesopotamia. Gold was highly valuable to ancient Assyrian society as a means of adornment, trade, currency, and ritualistic purposes. In addition to being used for jewellery, gold was used in creating religious objects like statues, symbols and decoration for the gods and goddesses.