Brick Stamp

2250 BC - 2200 BC
Clay
Bismaya (Adab)
11.1 cm x 11.1 cm x 10.5 cm (including handle)
A457

Oriental Institute Museum

Brick Stamp

Naram-Sin was one of the most ambitious kings of the first Semitic dynasty in Mesopotamia. In his efforts to extend the Akkadian empire, he erected monuments as far north as Asia Minor and as far east as Iran. This brick stamp bears a cuneiform inscription written in the Akkadian language.

Inscription

The divine Naram-Sin, the builder of the temple of Inanna.

Collected by

Oriental Exploration Fund, University of Chicago
Excavated by The Oriental Institute 1903-1904



Suggested Readings

Kramer, Samuel Noah. Cradle of Civilization. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1967.

Leick, Gwendolyn. A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Architecture. London: Routledge, 1988.

Roaf, Michael. Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East. New York: Facts on File, 1990.