Entemena

One of the oldest diplomatic documents known, on a clay nail, by King Entemena, c 2400 BC.

Entemena (flourished 2400 BC)^[1] was a son of En-anna-tum I, and he reestablished Lagash as a power in Sumer. He defeated Illi of Umma, with the aid of Lugal-kinishe-dudu of Uruk, successor to Enshakushanna, who is in the king list.

Artifacts

• He has one of the earliest statues of a known king from Mesopotamia. The statue was housed in the in National Museum of Iraq. In May 2003 the statue was stolen during the Second Gulf War. It was found and returned in 2010.^[1]
• A tripod of silver dedicated by Entemena to his god is now in the Louvre. A frieze of lions devouring ibexes and deer, incised with great artistic skill, runs round the neck, while the eagle crest of Lagash adorns the globular part. The vase is a proof of the high degree of excellence to which the goldsmith's art had already attained. A vase of calcite, also dedicated by Entemena, has been found at Nippur.
• A foundation deposit clay nail of Entemena, in excellent condition relates a peace treaty, and is dedicated to the God Bad-Tibira. It is one of the oldest diplomatic documents known.

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  Silver vase, with decorated panels, inscribed with cuneiform around rim

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  Hinge of Entemena, with cuneiform inscription

References

1. "Kept safe in US, Iraqi royal statue heads home". Boston Globe. September 7, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-11. King Entemena ruled in 2400 BC, when the land that makes up modern-day Iraq was a cradle of civilization. ...