• This note is a third sequel to the work: Philosophy of symbolic forms in Meluhha cipher. 

  
  

  See the first sequel and second sequel at: 

• 1.http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/meluhha-metallurgy-hieroglyphs-of.html Meluhha metallurgy: hieroglyphs of pomegranate, mangrove date-palm cone (raphia farinifera), an elephant's head terracotta Nausharo, Sarasvati civilization 

• 2.http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/04/ant-twisted-rope-and-other-meluhha.html Twisted rope, ant and other Meluhha hieroglyphs on Ancient Near East and Indian seals.

• Tello (Girsu) was the first Sumerian site to be extensively excavated. 
• Ernest de Sarzec, worked at Sumerian site of Tello (Girsu) from 1877-1900 and sent spectacular finds from the site to Paris. These included masterpieces of Sumerian art such as the beautifully carved statues of Gudea (now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris). Subsequent excavations were undertaken by the French: in 1903-9, 1929-31 and, the most important, directed by A. Parrot in 1931-33. 
• http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/articles/t/tello_ancient_girsu,_iraq.aspx  Many of the artifacts deploy Meluhha hieroglyphs. Some recurrent and unique Meluhha hieroglyphs are read rebus.

• 
  

• Fragment of a stele, raised standards. From Tello.
  

• Mudhif and three reed banners. A cow and a stable of reeds with sculpted columns in the background. Fragment of another vase of alabaster (era of Djemet-Nasr) from Uruk, Mesopotamia. Limestone 16 X 22.5 cm. AO 8842, Louvre, Departement des Antiquites Orientales, Paris, France. Six circles decorated on the reed post are semantic determinants of Glyphआर [ āra ] A term in the play of इटीदांडू,--the number six. (Marathi) आर [ āra ] A tuft or ring of hair on the body. (Marathi) Rebus:  āra ‘brass’. काँड् । काण्डः m. the stalk or stem of a reed, grass, or the like, straw. In the compound with dan 5 (p. 221a, l. 13) the word is spelt kāḍ. The rebus reading of the pair of reeds in Sumer standard is: khānḍa ‘tools,  pots  and  pans and metal-ware’. 
• Quadrupeds exiting the mund (or mudhif) are pasaramu, pasalamu ‘an animal, a beast, a brute, quadruped’ (Telugu) పసరము [ pasaramu ] or పసలము pasaramu. [Tel.] n. A beast, an animal. గోమహిషహాతి.
• Cylinder seal impression, Uruk period, Uruk?, 3500-2900 BCE. Note a load of livestock (upper), overlapping greatly (weird representation), and standard 'mudhif' reed house form common to S. Iraq (lower).
  
  Rebus: pasra = a smithy, place where a black-smith works, to work as a blacksmith; kamar pasra = a smithy; pasrao lagao akata se ban:? Has the blacksmith begun to work? pasraedae = the blacksmith is at his work (Santali.lex.) pasra meṛed, pasāra meṛed = syn. of koṭe meṛed = forged iron, in contrast to dul meṛed, cast iron (Mundari.lex.) పసారము [ pasāramu ] or పసారు pasārdmu. [Tel.] n. A shop. అంగడి. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/01/meluhha-standard-compares-with-nahal.html Both hieroglyphs together may have read rebus: *kāṇḍāra:  *kāṇḍakara ʻ worker with reeds or arrows ʼ. [kāˊṇḍa -- , kará -- 1] L. kanērā m. ʻ mat -- maker ʼ; H. kãḍerā m. ʻ a caste of bow -- and arrow -- makers ʼ.(CDIAL 3024). 
• 
  
• All that remains of Tello (ancient Girsu) are mounds that cover an area of more than 100 hectares (247 acres). In antiquity the settlement was connected to al-Hiba (ancient Lagash), twenty-five kilometres to the south, by a branch of the Euphrates.
• eruvai 'eagle' Rebus: eruvai 'copper'.
• Fragments from the 'Vulture stele'. Victory stele of Eannatum, King of Lagash, called the "Vulture Stele" Early Dynastic period, c. 2450 BCE Tello (ancient Girsu) Limestone H. 180 cm; W. 130 cm; Th. 11 cm E. de Sarzec excavations, 1881 Gift of the British Museum AO 16109, AO 50, AO 2346, AO 2348
• 
  
  Partially reassembled from a number of fragments discovered among the remains of the ancient Sumerian city of Girsu, this victory stele represents the oldest known historical document. A long inscription in the Sumerian language tells of the recurrent conflict between the neighboring city-states of Lagash and Umma and of the victory of Eannatum, king of Lagash. His triumph is depicted in a wealth of detail in the remarkable reliefs covering the two faces of the stele.

  A unique historic document

  Despite its fragmentary nature, this tall stele, sculpted and inscribed on both sides, is a monument of incomparable value, being the oldest known historical document. Excavations at Telloh revealed several fragments, dispersed among the remains of the ancient Sumerian city of Girsu. The stele commemorates, in text and images, an important victory by Eannatum, king of Lagash, over the neighboring city of Umma. The two cities had been in recurrent military conflict over the determination of their common border, a fairly typical situation in the Early Dynastic Age.
  Grandson of Ur-Nanshe and founder of the 1st Dynasty of Lagash, Eannatum reigned around 2450 BC; under him the city reached the apogee of its power. The carved inscription on the Stele of Vultures, of remarkable length despite only having survived in part, exalts the triumphs of a ruler who had benefited from divine protection since birth. Nourished on the milk of the goddess Ninhursag and taking his name from the goddess Inanna, it was from the god Ningirsu himself that he had received the kingship of Lagash. Assured of the protection of the gods by a prophetic dream, Eannatum was resolute in his struggle with Umma for control over the Gu-edina, the border territory disputed by the two cities.

  The 'historical' face

  The narrative of the military campaign against Umma is spectacularly illustrated by figurative compositions carved in relief, arranged on the stele in accordance with the traditional system of registers. These depictions are distributed between the two faces of the stele, those on one side being 'historical' in significance, and those on the other 'mythological,' showing the deeds of men in the one case and of the gods in the other. Human determination and divine protection thus come together to bring victory.
  The 'historical' face shows, in the upper register, the king of Lagash marching at the head of his army. Eannatum wears the fleecy skirt called the kaunakes, partly obscured by a woolen tunic over the left shoulder, and he has the helmet with tress exclusive to persons of high rank. The soldiers, also helmeted and carrying long pikes, advance in serried ranks, collectively protecting themselves behind tall rectangular shields. The triumphant army of Lagash tramples the bodies of its enemies, on which a host of vultures has already begun to feed - the scene from which the stele takes its name. The inscription proclaims: "Eannatum struck at Umma. The bodies were soon 3,600 in number [...]. I, Eannatum, like a fierce storm wind, I unleashed the tempest!"
  The second register shows what seems to be a victory parade. The soldiers march in two columns behind their king, who is mounted on a chariot. They hold their spears raised and carry battleaxes on their shoulders. Eannatum too brandishes a long pike, as well as a curved saber, a ceremonial weapon. He stands on a four-wheeled chariot with a tall front panel, behind which emerge a number of javelins stored in a quiver.
  The third register, much of it missing, shows the funeral ceremonies that followed the engagement. To bury the heaped bodies of their comrades, the soldiers of Lagash climb up a ladder, carrying baskets of earth on their heads. Nearby are animals, including a bound bull on its back, which are awaiting sacrifice, while a libation is poured over large vessels holding branches.

  The 'mythological' face

  The 'mythological' face shows the divine intervention that brings Eannatum victory. It is dominated by the imposing figure of Ningirsu, the tutelary deity of the city-state of Lagash. He holds the enemy troops heaped pell-mell in a gigantic net, striking them with his mace. The god's favored weapon of war, the net is held shut by the emblem of Imdugud - the eagle-headed lion, the attribute of Ningirsu - shown with wings outspread, gripping two lions in its talons.
  
  The rest of the 'mythological' face, a great deal of which is missing, seems to show the presence at the god's side of a goddess, probably Nanshe, Ningirsu's wife, also associated with the lion-headed eagle. The lower register offers a glimpse of the god on a chariot, accompanied by the same goddess.
  
  Having praised Eannatum's victorious deeds, the inscription devotes considerable space to the oaths sworn by the two kings before the great gods of the pantheon. Having recovered Gu-edina for Lagash, Eannatum establishes the border with Umma, on which a stele is erected. But as human undertakings can only prosper by divine favor, it is the latter that is invoked to guarantee the permanence of the new order: "Let the man of Umma never cross the border of Ningirsu! Let him never damage the dyke or the ditch! Let him not move the stele! If he crosses the border, may the great net of Enlil, king of heaven and earth, by whom he has made oath, fall upon Umma!"

  Bibliography

  Amiet Pierre, L'Art antique du Proche-Orient, Paris, Mazenod, 1977, p. 369, fig. 328.
  Huot Jean-Louis, Les Sumériens : entre le Tigre et l'Euphrate, Paris, Errance, 1989, pp. 222-224.
  Parrot André, Tello, vingt campagnes de fouilles, 1877-1933, Paris, Albin Michel, 1948, pp. 95-101.
  Sarzec Édouard de, Découvertes en Chaldée, Paris, Leroux, 1884-1912, pp. 36, 68, 94-103, 174-195.
  Sollberger Edmond, Kupper Jean-Robert, Inscriptions royales sumériennes et akkadiennes, Paris, Cerf, 1971.
  
  
  
  From inscriptions found at Girsu such as the Gudea cylinders, it appears that Lagash was an important Sumerian city in the late 3rd millennium BC. It was at that time ruled by independent kings, Ur-Nanshe (24th century BC) and his successors, who were engaged in contests with the Elamites on the east and the kings of "Kienĝir" and Kish on the north. Lagash's temple was E-Ninnu, dedicated to the god Ningirsu.
• 
  "I, Eannatum the powerful, called by Ningirsu, to the [enemy] country, with anger, that which was in all times I proclaim! The prince of Umma, each time when with his troops he eats the Gu-edina, the well-beloved lands of Ningirsu, may the [latter] lay him low."

Fragment of a stele, showing part of a lion and vases

Gudea, prince of Lagash, holding an overflowing vase; Gudea "au vase jaillissant" from Girsu (modern Tello, Iraq). Neo-Sumerian, c.2120 BCE. Dedicated to the goddess Geshtinanna. Dolerite, 62 x 25.6 cm. Louvre, Near Eastern Antiquities AO 22126.

Rebus readings: 

<lo->(B)  {V} ``(pot, etc.) to ^overflow''.  See <lo-> `to be left over'.  @B24310.  #20851. Re<lo->(B)  {V} ``(pot, etc.) to ^overflow''.  See <lo-> `to be left over'. (Munda ) Rebus: loh ‘copper’ (Hindi)

 

kāṇṭam, n. < kāṇḍa. 1. Water; sacred water (Tamil. Sanskrit)

M. lokhãḍ n. ʻironʼ(Marthi) लोहोलोखंड [lōhōlōkhaṇḍa] n (लोह & लोखंड) Iron tools, vessels, or articles in general (Marathi). 

Lyre-player, from one of the steles of king Gudea Hieroglyph: tambura ‘harp’; rebus: tambra ‘copper’.  

Rebus: tambra ‘copper’.

 

Entemena silver vase: Hieroglyphs, rebus readings: arye'lion' Rebus: āra 'brass'. ceṭṭai 'wing'; Rebus: seṭṭi 'merchant'.eruvai 'eagle' Rebus: eruvai 'copper'. mraṅ m. ‘markhor’ (Dm.) merg f. ‘ibex’ (Wkh)(CDIAL 9885) Tor. miṇḍ‘ram’, miṇḍā́l‘markhor’ (CDIAL 10310) Rebus: meḍ‘iron’ (Ho.) mẽṛhet‘iron’ (Munda.Ho.) 

• Entemena's inscribed Silver Vase (Louvre) A votive offering to his god Ningirsu, deposited in the temple E-Ninnu. The central design of which only one face is shown in the illustration consists of four lion-headed eagles, of which two seize a lion with each talon, and a third eagle seizes a couple of deer and the fourth a couple of ibexes. The eagle appears to have been the symbol of Ningirsu, while the lion,—commonly associated with Ishtar—may represent Bau, the consort of Ningirsu—the Ishtar of Lagash. The combination would thus stand for the divine pair. Dr. Ward (Seal Cylinders of Western Asia, p. 34 seq.) plausibly identifies this design with the bird Im-Gig, designated in the inscriptions of Gudea as the emblem of the ruler. This vase, considered to be the finest specimen of early metal work of Babylonia, was found at Telloh, and is now in the Louvre. See De Sarzec, Decouvertes, Pl. 43 and 43 bis and pp. 261-264; Heuzey, “Le Vase d’Argent d’Entemena” (Monuments Piot, ii., p. 5 seq., and Pl. 1, and Heuzey, Catalogue, pp. 372-80). The same design of the lion-headed eagle seizing two lions is found on other monuments of Lagash. See Heuzey, Catalogue, Nos. 7 and 12. See also Nos. 234 and 239. http://www.wisdomlib.org/mesopotamian/book/aspects-of-religious-belief-and-practice-in-babylonia-and-assyria/d/doc7256.html 

• 
  
  Pl. 5. Specimens of Early Babylonian Art. Fig. 1. (left) Silver Vase (with copper base) of Entemena, Patesi of Lagash (c. 2850 B.C.). Fig. 2. (right) Sculptured Base. Decoration in stone (dark green steatite), forming the support of some larger piece. There are seven small squatting figures (each with a tablet on his knees) distributed in a circle around the stone and intended, presumably, as a decorative design. Found at Telloh. Now in the Louvre. See De Sarzec, Decouvertes, Pl. 21, Fig. 5, and pp. 161-162; Heuzey, Catalogue, pp. 255-256.
• Plate 6 & 7:
  
  Pls. 6 and 7. Seal Cylinders of Various Periods. See De Sarzec, Decouvertes, Pl. 30 and 30 bis and pp. 276-324.
  These two plates of seal cylinders—all found at Telloh—may be taken as typical of the illustrations found on these objects, which served the purpose of personal seals, used by the owners as their signatures to business documents. They were rolled over the clay tablets on which business transactions were inscribed. Presumably the cylinders were also used as amulets. (See Herodotus, Book I, § 195, who says that every Babylonian “carries a seal.”) The design in the centre of Pl. 6 represents Gilgamesh, the hero of the Babylonian Epic, attacking a bull, while another figure—presumably Enkidu (though different from the usual type)— is attacking a lion. This conflict with animals which is an episode in the Epic (see Pl. 33) is very frequently portrayed on seal cylinders in a large number of variations. See Ward, Cylinders of Western Asia, Chap. X. Another exceedingly common scene portrays a seated deity into whose presence a worshipper is being led by a priest—or before whom a worshipper directly stands—followed by a goddess, who is the consort of the deity and who acts as inter-ceder for the worshipper.
  On Pl. 6 there are three specimens of this scene; on Pl. 7 likewise three. An altar, tree, or sacrificial animal— and sometimes all three—are added to the design. The seated god is commonly Shamash, the sun-god, but Sin, the moon-god, Ea, and Marduk, Adad, Ningirsu (and probably others) are also found, as well as goddesses. See Ward op. cit., Chaps. XVI. and, XXXIX.
  The seated god with streams issuing from both sides on Pl. 7 (5th row to the right) is certainly Shamash; so also the one in the opposite comer with rays protruding from his shoulders. See Ward, op. cit., Chap. XIV. Instead of the seated god, we frequently find the god in a standing posture of which Pl. 7 contains three examples.
  The one on the lowest row to the left is Shamash, the sun-god, with one leg bare and uplifted—symbolising the sun rising over the mountain; the other in the fourth row to the right is probably the god Marduk with the crook (or scimitar) standing on a gazelle, while the third—on the third row in the centre —is interesting as being, according to the accompanying inscription, a physician’s seal. The deity represented is Iru—a form or messenger of Nergal, the god of pestilence and death, which suggests a bit of grim (or unconscious) humour in selecting this deity as the emblem of the one who ministers unto disease. The accompanying emblems have been conjectured to be the physician’s instruments, but this is uncertain. We have also two illustrations of the popular myths which were frequently portrayed on these cylinders—both on Pl. 7.
  The one in the centre on the second row is an episode in a tale of Etana—a shepherd—who is carried aloft by an eagle to the mountain in which there grows the plant of life; the second— on the fourth row in the centre—represents Nergal’s invasion of the domain of Ereshkigal, the mistress of the lower world, and his attack on the goddess—crouching beneath a tree. The other scene on the cylinder seems to be an offering to Nergal, as the conqueror and, henceforth, the controller of the nether world. (See p. 369 and Ward op. cit., Chap. XXIII.) The remaining designs similarly have a religious or mythical import. The seals of the Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods show a tendency to become smaller in size and to embody merely symbols (like the one on Pl. 7, 2nd row, right corner) instead of a full scene.
• Hieroglyphs read rebus on libation vase of Gudea, Pateshi of Lagash:
• 
  
• chita 'spotted' (Hindi) śitá ʻwhetted, sharpʼ (Rigveda) lo ‘fox’ (WPah.)  Rebus: lōha ʻcopper metalʼ(Pali) nāga‘snake’ Rebus: nāga‘lead’; alternative anāku ’cassiterite (tin)’.
  

• A votive offering to the god Ningishzida. The elaborately sculptured design consists of two serpents entwined around a staff, backed by two fantastic figures, winged monsters with serpents’ heads and tails ending in a scorpion’s sting. Green steatite. Found at Telloh and now in the Louvre. See De Sarzec, Decouvertes , Pl. 44, Fig. 2, and pp. 234-236; Heuzey, Catalogue, pp. 280-284.
• Pl. 4. Stone Libation Vase of Gudea, Patesi of Lagash (c. 2350 B.C.). The "libation vase of Gudea" with the dragonMushussu, dedicated to Ningishzida (21st century BCE). The caduceus is interpreted as depicting the god himself.
• Tello (ancient Girsu, (Spelt Ngirsu), Iraq) Ninurta (Nin Ur: God of War) in Sumerian and the Akkadian mythology of Assyria and Babylonia, was the god of Lagash, identified with Ningirsu with whom he may always have been identified. 
• In the inscriptions found at Lagash he appears under his name Ningirsu, "the lord of Girsu", Girsu being the name of a city where he was considered the patron deity. 
• Tukulti-Ninurta I (1243-1207 BCE), King of Assyria.
• 
  
• bagalo = an Arabian merchant vessel (Gujarati) bagala = an Arab boat of a particular description (Ka.). melh 'goat' Rebus: meluhha milakkhu, 'copper' merchant;  kõda ’young bull calf’ (Bengali)kõdār ’turner’ (Bengali)
  A perforated bas-relief decorated with banquet scenes c. 2700-2650 BCE Mesopotamia Limeston H. 0.27 cm; W. 0.24 cm.
• Purchased at a public auction, formerly Erlenmeyer Collection, June 1997 AO 31015

Bibliography

• Votive relief of Ur-Nanshe, King of Lagash Early Dynastic period III, c. 2550-2500 BCE Tello (ancient Girsu)Limestone H. 39 cm; W. 46.50 cm; D. 6.50 cm De Sarzec excavations, 1888 AO 2344
• [quote]Characteristic of the period of the archaic Sumerian Dynasties, this remarkable perforated stone slab is decorated with a low-relief in tworegisters. It commemorates the religious action of King Ur-Nanshe, the founder of the 1st Dynasty of Lagash. He is shown presiding over the ceremonies of the foundation and inauguration of a shrine...The central perforation was probably intended to peg the slab to the wall in the votive part of the shrine. Of the 120 slabs of this kind that have been found, mostly in the large cities of the Sumerian cultural area, this is one of the most remarkable in terms of its size and the quality of the execution, as well as for the wealth of iconographic detail it offers. 

  Ur-Nanshe and the 1st Dynasty of Lagash

  The cuneiform inscription engraved on the background of the slab tells that the main person represented on it is Ur-Nanshe, the king of the Sumerian state of Lagash. Lagash was one of the city states that shared the great alluvial plain of southern Mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium BC. Its prosperity was largely due to its location on the road that led to the rich plain of Susa and from there to the Iranian plateau. Ur-Nanshe is considered to be the founder, circa 2500 BC, of what is known as the 1st Dynasty of Lagash, and was succeeded by nine kings over a period of almost two centuries. The inauguration of the dynasty by Ur-Nanshe was marked by the construction of many buildings, both civil - ramparts and canals - and religious. Temples were erected in honor of each of the country's high gods... the accompanying inscription in Sumerian: "Ur-Nanshe, king of Lagash, son of Gunidu, built the temple of Ningirsu; he built the temple of Nanshe; he built Apsubanda." The arrangement in two registers clearly distinguishes the person of the king, who is raised by his rank above the other men, and is thereby recognizable in both scenes by the large size conventionally attributed to him.
• The upper register shows Ur-Nanshe carrying a hod of bricks on his head to help build the new shrine, probably that of Ningirsu, the divine protector of the state of Lagash. Clothed in a tufted woolen skirt known as a kaunakes, the king is accompanied by his wife and his sons, as well as high functionaries, each one identified by his name written on his garment.
• In the lower register, the king of Lagash is again shown surrounded by his sons and high functionaries. Sitting with a goblet in his hand, Ur-Nanshe is presiding over a ritual banquet, which commemorates the building of the temple.
  The inscription states that "boats from the (distant) land of Dilmun carried the wood (for him)." This is the oldest known reference to the country of Dilmun (now the island of Bahrain), a transit port for hard stones and precious stones, building timber and metals from India and Oman. In this early period, the princes of the Sumerian city-states traded with faraway regions.
• The decoration of the relief of Ur-Nanshe thus sums up the ceremonies of the foundation and inauguration of the temples, symbolized by the hod of bricks and the ritual banquet. For in exchange for the prosperity granted by the gods, men were expected to serve them and maintain their temples. The foundation and preservation of great shrines was the vocation par excellence of the first among men - the king.

  Bibliography

  Sarzec Édouard de, Découvertes en Chaldée, Paris, Leroux, 1884-1912, p. 168, pl. 2 bis, fig. 1.
  Parrot André, Tello, vingt campagnes de fouille (1877-1933), Paris, Albin Michel, 1948, p. 91.
  Amiet Pierre, L'Art antique du Proche-Orient, Paris, Mazenod, 1977, pl. 44, fig. 324, p. 368.
  Huot Jean-Louis, Les Sumériens, entre le Tigre et l'Euphrate, Paris, Armand Colin, 1989. [unquote]
• http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/perforated-relief-king-ur-nanshe 
• Tip of a lance with image of a lion; the inscription says "Ur-lugal, King of Kish". From Tello (Lagash) Period of Archaic Dynasties, 2500-2340 BCE Bronze, H: 85 cm AO 2675 
• Three rams with gilded heads on a base of two demons. Bronze, gold and silver; support for an offering table or altar; from the palace of Larsa, Iraq. Period of Isin-Larsa (early 2nd mill.BCE) See also 08-02-04/41 H: 22 cm AO 15705 
• 
  
• Clay tablet for accounts. Pre-cuneiform writing. 5 x 5 cm. Proto-urban period, end 4th mill.BCE AO 8859 
• 
  
• Priest-king with headgear of plumes at the entrance of a temple marked by two lances. From Tello Period of the Archaic Dynasties (DA I) 2900-2750 BCE Limestone, 18 x 16 cm AO 221 
• Tu. aḍaru twig.(DEDR 67) Rebus: aduru gan.iyinda tegadu karagade iruva aduru = ore taken from the mine and not subjected to melting in a furnace (Ka. Siddhānti Subrahmaṇya’ Śastri’s new interpretation of the AmarakoŚa, Bangalore, Vicaradarpana Press, 1872, p.330) 
•  kūdī‘twig’ (on plumed headdress rising out of the horns) Rebus: kuṭhi‘smelter’ 
• 
  
• Fragment of an Iranian Chlorite Vase decorated with the lion headed eagle (Imdugud) found in the temple of Ishtar during the 1933 - 1934 fieldwork by Parrot. Dated 2500 - 2400 BC. Louvre Museum collection AO 17553. 
• 
  
• • Votive bas-relief of Dudu, priest of Ningirsu in the time of Entemena, prince of Lagash C. 2400 BCE Tello (ancient Girsu) Bituminous stone H. 25 cm; W. 23 cm; Th. 8 cm De Sarzec excavations, 1881 AO 2354 
• Hieroglyph: मेढा [ mēḍhā ] 'a curl or snarl; twist in thread' (Marathi) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ‘iron’ (Mu.Ho.) eruvai 'eagle' Rebus: eruvai 'copper'. eraka 'wing' Rebus: erako 'moltencast copper'.
• 
  
• Plaques perforated in the center and decorated with scenes incised or carved in relief were particularly widespread in the Second and Third Early Dynastic Periods (2800-2340 BC), and have been found at many sites in Mesopotamian and more rarely in Syria or Iran. The perforated plaque of Dudu, high priest of Ningirsu in the reign of Entemena, prince of Lagash (c.2450 BC), belongs to this tradition. It has some distinctive features, however, such as being made of bitumen.

  Dudu, priest of Ningirsu

  The bas-relief is perforated in the middle and divided into four unequal sections. A figure occupying the height of two registers faces right, leaning on what appears to be a long staff. He is dressed in the kaunakes, a skirt of sheepskin or other material tufted in imitation of it. His name is inscribed alongside: Dudu, rendered by the pictograph for the foot, "du," repeated. Dudu was high priest of the god Ningirsu at the time of Entemena, prince of Lagash (c.2450 BC). Incised to his left is the lion-headed eagle, symbol of the god Ningirsu and emblem of Lagash, as found in other perforated plaques from Telloh, as well as on other objects such as the mace head of Mesilim, king of Kish, and the silver vase of Entemena, king of Lagash. On this plaque, however, the two lions, usually impassive, are reaching up to bite the wings of the lion-headed eagle. Lower down is a calf, lying in the same position as the heifers on Entemena's vase. The lower register is decorated with a plait-like motif, according to some scholars a symbol of running water.

  Perforated plaques

  This plaque belongs to the category of perforated plaques, widespread throughout Phases I and II of the Early Dynastic Period, c.2800-2340BC, and found at many sites in Mesopotamia (especially in the Diyala region), and more rarely in Syria (Mari) and Iran (Susa). Some 120 examples are known, of which about 50 come from religious buildings. These plaques are usually rectangular in form, perforated in the middle and decorated with scenes incised or carved in relief. They are most commonly of limestone or gypsum: this plaque, being of bitumen, is an exception to the rule.

  Bibliography

  André B, Naissance de l'écriture : cunéiformes et hiéroglyphes, (notice), Paris, Exposition du Grand Palais, 7 mai au 9 août 1982, Paris, Editions de la Réunion des musées nationaux, 1982, p. 85, n 42.
  Contenau G., Manuel d'archéologie orientale, Paris, Picard, 1927, p. 487, fig. 357.
  Heuzey L., Les Antiquités chaldéennes, Paris, Librairie des Imprimeries Réunies, 1902, n 12.
  Orthmann W., Der Alte Orient, Berlin, Propylaën (14), 1975, pl. 88.
  Sarzec É., Découvertes en Chaldée, Paris, Leroux, 1884-1912, pp. 204-209.
  Thureau-Dangin, Les inscriptions de Sumer et d'Akkad, Paris, Leroux, 1905, p. 59.
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  The image may be read as a series of rebuses or ideograms. A priest dedicates an object to his god, represented by his symbol, and flanked perhaps by representations of sacrificial offerings: an animal for slaughter and a libation of running water. The dedicatory inscription, confined to the area left free by the image in the upper part, runs over the body of the calf: "For Ningirsu of the Eninnu, Dudu, priest of Ningirsu ... brought [this material] and fashioned it as a mace stand."
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  The precise function of such plaques is unknown, and the purpose of the central perforation remains a mystery. The inscription here at first ledscholars to consider them as mace stands, which seems unlikely. Some have thought they were to be hung on a wall, the hole in the center taking a large nail or peg. Others have suggested they might be part of a door-closing mechanism. Perforated plaques such as this are most commonly organized in horizontal registers, showing various ceremonies, banquets(particularly in the Diyala), the construction of buildings (as in the perforated plaque of Ur-Nanshe), and scenes of cultic rituals (as in the perforated plaque showing "the Libation to the Goddess of Fertility"). The iconography is often standardized, almost certainly an indication that they represent a common culture covering the whole of Mesopotamia, and that they had a specific significance understood by all.
• "http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/perforated-plaque-dudu