Plaque with Gilgamesh and Humbaba
Clay
Original Site Unknown
27.5 cm x 8.5 cm x 6.5 cm
A9325
Oriental Institute Museum
Plaque with Gilgamesh and Humbaba
This clay plaque may show the figure of Gilgamesh standing on the head of a slain monster (possibly Humbaba, guardian of the Cedar Forest). Gilgamesh was a legendary king of the city of Uruk. Many stories were written about him in both the Sumerian and Akkadian languages. These stories later formed the basis of "The Epic of Gilgamesh," the most famous of all Akkadian literary compositions.
Multimedia
Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
What was life like in ancient Mesopotamia? Find out in this video featuring Oriental Institute Assyriologist Dr. Martha Roth.
Suggested Readings
Bryson, Bernarda. Gilgamesh: Man's First Story. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1966.
Kovacs, Maureen Gallery. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1989.
McCall, Henrietta. Mesopotamian Myths. London: British Museum Publications, 1990.