Puzer-Mama or Puzur-Mama (, ''puzur₄-^Dma-ma'') was a ruler of

Lagash Lagash (cuneiform: LAGAŠKI; Sumerian: ''Lagaš''), was an ancient city state located northwest of the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and east of Uruk, about east of the modern town of Ash Shatrah, Iraq. Lagash (modern Al-Hiba) w ...

before Gudea, circa 2200 BCE. Though he adopted the title of King (''

lugal Lugal ( Sumerian: ) is the Sumerian term for "king, ruler". Literally, the term means "big man." In Sumerian, ''lu'' "𒇽" is "man" and ''gal'' " 𒃲" is "great," or "big." It was one of several Sumerian titles that a ruler of a city-state coul ...

''), Puzer-Mama shows kinship with future Lagashite kings in the religiosity of his inscriptions. He took control of Lagash during

Shar-kali-sharri Shar-Kali-Sharri (, '' DShar-ka-li-Sharri''; reigned c. 2217–2193 BC middle chronology, c. 2153–2129 BC short chronology) was a king of the Akkadian Empire. Rule Succeeding his father Naram-Sin in c. 2217 BC, he came to the throne in an age ...

's reign, when troubles with the Guti left the Sargonic king with only "a small rump state whose center lay at the confluence of the Diyala and

Tigris The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...

river." (Frayne 1993 p. 186) Puzer-Mama's royal inscription — wherein he receives the various gifts of the gods appropriate to rulership: power by

Ningirsu , image= Cropped Image of Carving Showing the Mesopotamian God Ninurta.png , caption= Assyrian stone relief from the temple of Ninurta at Kalhu, showing the god with his thunderbolts pursuing Anzû, who has stolen the Tablet of Destinies from E ...

, intelligence by Enki, and position by Inanna, (Frayne 1993 p. 272) — may be contrasted with the contemporary religious element in Shar-kali-sharri's various inscriptions: a call for the gods to punish any who alter his inscriptions, and specifically to "tear out his foundations and destroy his progeny" (one of a number of curses for protection found in royal inscriptions starting with the reign of Sargon.) Puzer-Mama appears in Babylonian inscription ( BM 2310) as one of the ancient rulers of Lagash, particularly the list of "The rulers of Lagaš": According to other inscriptions however, his tutelary god was

Shulutula Shul-utul ( sux, , ) or Shul-utula was the personal god the rulers of the Mesopotamian Ur-Nanshe dynasty of Lagash. His name means "youngling shepherd" in Sumerian. Despite his role as the personal deity of kings, Shul-utul was not regarded as ...

. Puzur-Mama also appears in a letter about territorial disputes between two Governors, apparently sent to

Shar-Kali-Sharri Shar-Kali-Sharri (, '' DShar-ka-li-Sharri''; reigned c. 2217–2193 BC middle chronology, c. 2153–2129 BC short chronology) was a king of the Akkadian Empire. Rule Succeeding his father Naram-Sin in c. 2217 BC, he came to the throne in an age ...

: Puzer-Mama also appears as "King of Lagash" in a document also naming the Elamite ruler

Puzur-Inshushinak Puzur-Inshushinak ( Linear Elamite: ''Puzur Šušinak'', Akkadian: , ''puzur3- dinšušinak'', also , ''puzur4- dinšušinak'' "Calling Inshushinak"), also sometimes thought to read Kutik-Inshushinak in Elamite, was king of Elam, around 2100 ...

, suggesting the synchronicity of the two rulers.Inscription Puzur-Mama E2.12.5.1 in

References

Sources

*Frayne, Douglas R. (1993). ''Sargonic and Gutian Periods'' (Toronto, Buffalo, London. University of Toronto Press Incorporated) {{Early Rulers of Mesopotamia 23rd-century BC Sumerian kings Kings of Lagash