MIDDLE EAST HISTORY POLITICS CULTURE XIII MIDDLE EAST XIII | Page 29

NSHAN THOMAS KSEKER
(YSU)
LUGALZAGESI IN THE SHUSHGAL NET: EARLY DYNASTIC
ICONOGRAPHY OF KINGSHIP IN THE SARGONIC PERIOD
Despite the radically different art of some Classical Sargonic (spanning
the reigns of Naram-Sin and Sharkalisharri) artifacts, the Sargonic period
retained significant amounts of Early Dynastic (ED) iconography. Some of the
most enduring aspects of the civilization of Ancient Mesopotamia are its
symbolic expressions of kingship and royal authority. From the semi-
legendary Gilgamesh to Hammurabi, the kings of Mesopotamia provided
their subjects (and occasionally their political neighbors) with ideals of
authority that other rulers sought to emulate and, in many cases, surpass.
Many motifs that were utilized consistently can clearly be visualized from
textual sources, especially royal inscriptions from stela, temple offerings and
ceremonial plaques. However, they can also be traced through the artistic
depictions of kings and their actions. One of the symbols that signaled royal
authority was the Shushgal Net, first appearing (as far as we know) in
Eannatum’s Stele of the Vultures. 1 One way that Sargon maintained ED
traditions of kingship was by utilizing motifs that were well known in the
region.
The Vulture Stele of Eannatum, king of Lagash, one of the most
striking ED royal monuments, is echoed heavily in one of Sargon's most
important artifacts - the remnants of his own stele found at Susa. The
parallels between these two stela highlight Sargon's (and his successors)
heavy ED influence.By examining the Sargonic monuments utilizing this
motif, as well as the texts accompanying the usage of these images, a
consistent yet evolving tradition of symbolizing royal authority can be traced
in Mesopotamia from the Early Dynastic through Sargonic periods.
Eannatum’s Stele of the Vultures is an excellent example of royal
For a bibliography of this artifact and its inscription, see Frayne D., The Royal
Inscriptions of Mesopotamia Early Periods Volume I: Presargonic Period (2700-2350
BC), Toronto, 2008, pp. 126-140.
1
29