Girsu

31.61666666666746.15Koordinaten: 31 ° 37 'N, 46 ° 9' O

Girsu, today Tall Lawh, Tello ( h), was an ancient Sumerian city. She was lying about 28 kilometers northwest of Lagash Dhi Qar Governorate in southern Iraq.

History

The city Girsu was probably settled as early as the 4th millennium BC. Even in the Späturuk and the Ğemdet - Nasr period gained regional, some national significance of the city.

In the Early Dynastic period, after the cities had released from the dominion of Urs, around the time of 2700 BC to 2500 BC, a surface state developed from the three major cities Girsu, Nina and the eponymous Lagash. Girsu it was the residence of Ensis of Lagash and at least in spätsumerischer time and religious center of the state.

After neusumerischen time Girsu was virtually meaningless, but still populated almost 2000 years to the 2nd century BC.

Archeology

The first excavations were carried out in 1900 to 11 campaigns by Gustave Ch Ernest Chocquin de Sarzec 1877. He found that until today most important group of Gudea statues in the hill A ( " palace " ) in the palace of Adad -nadin- ahhe dating from the 2nd century AD It is believed to be the reference of the original site, but the images are likely to ancient times have come from the older to a younger layer. By looters came in the same time a larger number of cuneiform tablets in the art trade. From 1903 to 1909, with interruptions continued Gaston Cros, the excavations continued. After 1924 reports of looters have been known, had found the statues of Gudea and of the empire and city of God Ningirsu, the excavations were continued. It pits Léon Heuzey, 1929-1931 Henri de Genouillac and subsequently to 1933 André Parrot.

There were remains of a ziggurat and the Eninnu temple uncovered (sometimes, this complex is referred to as the Palace of Gudea and the connection to Eninnu doubts ). A large part of many individual finds - many from the time of Mesalim, Urnansche, Eannatum and from neusumerischer time ( Gudea ) - is now in the Louvre in Paris. Of particular importance are also more than 50,000 administrative documents found in Sumerian cuneiform from Ur III period and the round sculptures found as well a vulture statue.

Seal of Lugalanda to 2400 BC, now in the Louvre

Seal of Barnamtarra, wife of Lugalanda to 2400 BC, now in the Louvre

Cuneiform tablet from Urukagina (or Uruinimgina ) to 2350 BC, now in the Louvre

Sumerian goddess on a stele to 2120 BC, from the excavations in 1950, now in the Louvre

Gudea, Diotitstatue to 2100 BC, now in the Louvre

Gudea on a statue to 2100 BC, now in the Louvre