Meskalamdug

Meskalamdug (, ''Meskalamdùg'' es-KALAM-du10/small> "hero of the good land"; ) was an early Sumerian ruler of the First Dynasty of Ur in the 26th century BCE. He does not appear in the ''Sumerian King List'', but is known from a royal cylinder seal found in the Royal Cemetery at Ur, a royal bead inscription found in Mari, both mentioning him as King, and possibly his tomb, grave PG 755 at the Royal Cemetery at Ur.

It has been suggested that Puabi may have been his second queen.

Royal seal

The existence of a "King Meskalamdug" is known for certain, from a seal discovered at the Royal Cemetery of Ur (cylinder seal U 11751, discovered in the tomb of a queen, PG 1054), which bears the title ''Meskalamdug Lugal'' () "King Meskalamdug". The same name of "Meskalamdug" has been found inscribed on the grave goods of tomb PG 755 at the Royal Cemetery of Ur, but without the title "King", which has raised doubts about the identification of King Meskalamdug with the young man found in that rather small grave.

The seal is made of shell, with a core in lapis-lazuli. It shows two crossed lions attacking bulls, with Enkidu and a naked man in profile participating to the fight. It is now in the British Museum (BM 122536).

File:Seal of King Meskalamdug.jpg, Seal of King Meskalamdug, with inscription ''Meskalamdug Lugal'' () "King Meskalamdug".
File:Meskalamdug Lugal.jpg, Inscription ''Meskalamdug Lugal'' () "King Meskalamdug", on the seal (upper left corner)

Mari bead

King Meskalamdug is again mentioned on a lapis-lazuli bead found in Mari, in the so-called "Treasure of Ur". It reads:Description with photograph:

It is unclear how this bead came to be in Mari, which was quite far from Ur (about 700 kilometers to the northwest), but this points to some kind of relation between Ur and Mari at that time. The bead was discovered in a jar containing other objects from Ur or Kish, probably used as a dedication to a local temple. The God "Lugal-kalam" (, "Lord of the Land") to whom the dedication is made, is otherwise known in a dedication by a local ruler Šaba (Šalim) of Mari, also as Lugal-kalam, or in the dedication of Ishtup-Ilum where he is named "Lugal-mātim" (, "Lord of the Land"), and is considered identical with the local deity Dagan, or Enlil.

File:UNESCO Lapis lazuli bead, National Museum of Damascus, Syria.jpg, The lapis lazuli bead from Mari, with the inscription by Mesannepada, son of Meskalamdug. National Museum of Damascus, Syria.
File:Mesannepada bead from Mari.jpg, Transcription of the Mari bead.
File:UNESCO Lion Eagle, Damas Museum.jpg, The "Lion-Eagle" was found together with the lapis-lazuli bead in the same dedication jar, the so-called "Treasure of Ur", in Mari.

Tomb of Meskalamdug (PG 755)

The tomb of Meskalamdug, PG 755, discovered by English archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley in the Royal Cemetery of Ur in 1924, contained numerous gold artifacts including a golden helmet with an inscription of the king's name."Behind the deceased's head was agold helmet. He held in his hands a gold bowl inscribed with the name Meskalamdug. In the coffin, for example, were gold and silver lamps, a second gold bowl inscribed with the name Meskalamdug, and electrum ax heads. On the northeast side opposite the upper part of the body was a substantial collection of jewelry" in By observing the contents of this royal grave, it is made clear that this ancient civilization was quite wealthy. His wife's name was queen Ninbanda. Meskalamdug was also mentioned on a seal in another tomb with the title lugal (king), however because his own tomb lacked attendants, Woolley assumed that he was not royal. The controversy remains though, because he is named on a bead inscription discovered in Mari by French archaeologist André Parrot ten years later, as the father of king Mesannepada of Ur, who appears in the king list and in many other inscriptions.

Since tomb PG 755 lacks the monumental scale and splendor of other royal tombs at the Royal Cemetery of Ur, it has been suggested that it was not the tomb of king Meskalamdug himself, but rather a young prince of the same name, for example a son of king Meskalamdug and queen Nibanda. Julian Reade has suggested that tomb PG 755 was the tomb of a "Prince Meskalamdug", and that the actual tomb of the King Meskalamdug, known from seal U 11751, was tomb PG 789. Alternatively, it may be more likely that the Meskalamdug of the inscriptions in tomb PG 755, and the Meskalamdug of the royal seal are simply the same person, who took the royal title '' lugal'' at a late stage of his life.

File:Grave of Meskalamdug.jpg, Grave of Meskalamdug (PG 755, "A")
File:Grave of Meskalamdug (PG 755, B) at Ur, next to royal tomb PG 779 (A) and royal tomb PG 777 (C).jpg, Grave of Meskalamdug (PG 755, marked "B" on the left), next to royal tomb of Ur-Pabilsag (PG 779, marked "A" in the center) and tomb of Ur-Pabilsag's queen on the right (PG 777, "C")

Tomb artifacts (tomb PG 755)

File:A gold dagger and a dagger with a gold-plated handle, Ur excavations (1900) (14581033499).jpg, A gold dagger and a dagger with a gold-plated handle, grave PG 755, Ur excavations (1900).
File:Goods from grave PG 755.jpg, Alabaster vases and helmet from the grave of Meskalamdug, grave PG 755
File:Meskalamdug inscriptions.jpg, Golden bowls found in the tomb of Meskalamdug (grave PG 755), with vertical inscription of his name , "Meskalamdug".
File:Golden bowl from the grave of Meskalamdug (PG 755, Ur).jpg, Golden bowl from the grave of Meskalamdug (PG 755, Ur)
File:Gold monkey of Meskalamdug (grave PG 755 at Ur).jpg, Gold monkey of Meskalamdug (grave PG 755 at Ur)
File:Silver ewer and copper paten from the tomb of Meskalamdug from page 354 of "Ur excavations".jpg, Silver ewer and copper paten from the tomb of Meskalamdug.
File:Electrotype reproduction of a helmet recovered from the royal cemetery of Ur, Iraq 2550-2450 BCE.jpg, Electrotype reproduction of the helmet of Meskalamdug. Penn Museum

An alternative: the "King's grave" (tomb PG 789)

According to Julian Reade, tomb PG 755 was the tomb of a "Prince Meskalamdug", but the actual tomb of King Meskalamdug, known from seal U 11751, is more likely to be royal tomb PG 789. This tomb has been called "the King's grave", where the remains of numerous royal attendants and many beautiful objects were recovered, and is located right next to the tomb of Queen Puabi, thought to be the second wife of King Meskalamdug.

File:Funeral procession at Ur, circa 2600 BCE (reconstitution).jpg, Funeral disposition in the great death pit, PG 789. The King's tomb would be the dome in the back (reconstitution).
Ur excavations (1900) (14580798039).jpg, Plan of tomb PG 789.
Bull-headed lyre recovered from the royal cemetery of Ur Iraq 2550-2450 BCE Gold Lapis Lazuli (2).jpg, Bull head in a lyre.
Bull-headed lyre recovered from the royal cemetery of Ur Iraq 2550-2450 BCE Gold Lapis Lazuli.jpg, Bull-headed lyre recovered from the royal cemetery of Ur Iraq 2550-2450 BCE
File:Lyre detail (Royal Cemetery of Ur).jpg, Nacre plate on lyre, with anthropomorphic animals, PG 789.
File:Ur excavations (1900) (14765338634).jpg, Plate from PG 789.
File:Ur excavations (1900) (14764571121).jpg, Spear blades, PG 789.
Copper Alloy Helmet & Crushed Head of Royal Guard PG 789.jpg, Copper Alloy Helmet & Crushed Head of Royal Guard, PG 789.
File:Weapons from tomb PG 789.jpg, Weapons from tomb PG 789
File:Silver model of a boat, tomb PG 789, Royal Cemetery of UR, 2600-2500 BCE.jpg, Silver model of a boat, tomb PG 789, 2600-2500 BCE
File:Knife PG789.jpg, Knife from tomb PG 789

See also

*Sumer
*History of Sumer
*Royal Cemetery at Ur
*Near Eastern archaeology

References

Sources

*Jane McIntosh: ''Ancient Mesopotamia''. ABC-CLIO 2005, , p. 73
restricted online version (google books)

*Leonard Woolley: ''The Sumerians''. p. 38
restricted online version (google books)

External links

{{Rulers of Sumer
26th-century BC Sumerian kings
First Dynasty of Ur
3rd-millennium BC births
3rd-millennium BC deaths