GIRSU

Girsu shown within Near East

Archaeological remains of constructions at Tello / Girsu

Location : Tell Telloh, Dhi Qar Province, Iraq

Region : Sumer

Coordinates : 31°33'43.3 N 46°10'39.3 E

Type : Settlement

Girsu (Sumerian Girsu; cuneiform gir2-suki) was a city of ancient Sumer, situated some 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Lagash, at the site of modern Tell Telloh, Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq.

History :

Terracotta stamp seal with Master of Animals motif, Tell Telloh, ancient Girsu, End of Ubaid period, circa 4000 BC. Louvre Museum AO15388

Girsu was possibly inhabited in the Ubaid period (5300-4800 BC), but significant levels of activity began in the Early Dynastic period (2900-2335 BC). At the time of Gudea, during the Second Dynasty of Lagash, Girsu became the capital of the Lagash kingdom and continued to be its religious center after political power had shifted to city of Lagash. During the Ur III period, Girsu was a major administrative center for the empire. After the fall of Ur, Girsu declined in importance, but remained inhabited until approximately 200 BC.

Archaeology :

The site consist of two main mounds, one rising 50 above the plain and the other 56 feet. A number of small mounds dot the site. Telloh was the first Sumerian site to be extensively excavated, at first under the French vice-consul at Basra, Ernest de Sarzec, in eleven campaigns between 1877 and 1900, followed by his successor Gaston Cros from 1903–1909. Excavations continued under Abbé Henri de Genouillac in 1929–1931 and under André Parrot in 1931–1933. It was at Girsu that the fragments of the Stele of the Vultures were found. The site has suffered from poor excavation standards and also from illegal excavations. About 50,000 cuneiform tablets have been recovered from the site. Excavations at Tello have now resumed as part of a training program for Iraqi archaeologists organized by the American Schools of Oriental Research. A foundation tablet and a number of inscribed building cones have been found. In March 2020, archaeologists announced the discovery of a 5,000-year-old cultic area filled with more than 300 broken ceremonial ceramic cups, bowls, jars animal sacrifices and ritual processions dedicated to Ningirsu. One of the remains was a duck-shaped bronze figurine with eyes made from bark which is thought to be dedicated to Nanshe. An Indus Valley weight was also found.

Gallery :

Ubaid IV artifacts (4700 – 4200 BC) in Girsu :

Ubaid IV pottery gobelet, 4700 – 4200 BC Tello, ancient Girsu. Louvre Museum

Ubaid IV pottery jars 4700 – 4200 BC Tello, ancient Girsu, Louvre Museum

Ubaid IV pottery 4700 – 4200 BC Tello, ancient Girsu, Louvre Museum AO 15338

Female figurines Ubaid IV, Tello, ancient Girsu, 4700 – 4200 BC. Louvre Museum AO15327

Uruk Period artifacts (4000 – 3100) :

Uruk period vase. Terracotta, ca. 3500 – 2900 BC. From Telloh, ancient city of Girsu. Louvre Museum

Vase. Terracotta with red slip, ca. 3500 – 2900 BC. From Telloh, ancient city of Girsu. Louvre Museum

Vase. Terracotta, ca. 3500 – 2900 BC. From Telloh, ancient city of Girsu

Indus seal impression discovered in Telloh, a result of Indus-Mesopotamia relations

Early dynastic artifacts in Girsu (3rd millennium BC) :

Ring of Gold, Carnelian, Lapis Lazuli, Tello, ancient Girsu, mid-3rd millennium BC. Louvre Museum

An account of barley rations issued monthly to adults and children written in Cuneiform on clay tablet, written in year 4 of King Urukagina (circa 2350 BC). From Girsu, Iraq. British Museum, London

Telloh doorway erected by Gudea (c. 2100 BC)

Source :

https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Girsu