Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum
Encyclopedia
Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum is the first museum
known to historians dating to circa 530 BCE.Casey, p. "Public Museum" Around 530 B.C.E. in Ur, an educational museum containing a collection of labeled antiquities was founded by Ennigaldi-Nanna the, daughter of Nabonidus, the last king of Babylonia.Harvey, p. 20 Princess Ennigaldi-Nanna, collected antiques from the southern regions of Mesopotamia, which she stored in a temple at Ur – the first known museum in the world. Leon, pp. 36–37 ...the first known museum... The curator
was Princess Ennigaldi, the daughter of Nabonidus
, the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
. It was located in the state of Ur
, located in the modern-day Dhi Qar Governorate of Iraq
, roughly 150 metres (492.1 ft) southeast of the famous Ziggurat of Ur.Woolley, Ur of the Chaldees pp. 252–259
arranged side by side, whose ages varied by centuries, were actually museum pieces - since they came with, what was finally determined, to be "museum labels". These consisted of clay cylinder drums with labels in three different languages.
Nabonidus, her father, an antiquarian
and antique restorer, taught Ennigaldi to appreciate ancient artifacts. Her father is known as the first serious archeologist and influenced Ennigaldi to create her educational antiquity museum.
The palace grounds that included the museum were at the ancient building referred to as E-Gig-Par, which also had her living quarters. The palace grounds also included the palace subsidiary buildings.Leon, pp. 36-37Nash, p. 12
excavated the ruins of the museum, its contents were discovered to be labeled, using tablets and clay drums.Britannica, Volume 2 p. 481 Many of the artifacts
had been originally excavated by Nabonidus, Ennigald's father, and were from the 20th century BCE. Some artifacts had been collected previously by Nebuchadnezzar
. Some are thought to have been excavated by Ennigald herself. The items were many centuries old already in Ennigald's time and came from the southern regions of Mesopotamia.
Ennigald stored the artifacts in a temple next to the palace where she lived. She used the museum pieces to explain the past history of the area and to interpret material aspects of her dynasty's heritage.
The "museum labels" (the oldest such known to historians) for the items found in the museum were clay cylinders with descriptive text in three different languages.
Some of these artifacts were:
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
known to historians dating to circa 530 BCE.Casey, p. "Public Museum" Around 530 B.C.E. in Ur, an educational museum containing a collection of labeled antiquities was founded by Ennigaldi-Nanna the, daughter of Nabonidus, the last king of Babylonia.Harvey, p. 20 Princess Ennigaldi-Nanna, collected antiques from the southern regions of Mesopotamia, which she stored in a temple at Ur – the first known museum in the world. Leon, pp. 36–37 ...the first known museum... The curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
was Princess Ennigaldi, the daughter of Nabonidus
Nabonidus
Nabonidus was the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, reigning from 556-539 BCE.-Historiography on Nabonidus:...
, the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
Neo-Babylonian Empire
The Neo-Babylonian Empire or Second Babylonian Empire was a period of Mesopotamian history which began in 626 BC and ended in 539 BC. During the preceding three centuries, Babylonia had been ruled by their fellow Akkadian speakers and northern neighbours, Assyria. Throughout that time Babylonia...
. It was located in the state of Ur
Ur
Ur was an important city-state in ancient Sumer located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate...
, located in the modern-day Dhi Qar Governorate of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, roughly 150 metres (492.1 ft) southeast of the famous Ziggurat of Ur.Woolley, Ur of the Chaldees pp. 252–259
History
When archaeologists excavated certain parts of the palace and temple complex at Ur they determined that the dozens of artifacts, neatlyarranged side by side, whose ages varied by centuries, were actually museum pieces - since they came with, what was finally determined, to be "museum labels". These consisted of clay cylinder drums with labels in three different languages.
Nabonidus, her father, an antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
and antique restorer, taught Ennigaldi to appreciate ancient artifacts. Her father is known as the first serious archeologist and influenced Ennigaldi to create her educational antiquity museum.
The palace grounds that included the museum were at the ancient building referred to as E-Gig-Par, which also had her living quarters. The palace grounds also included the palace subsidiary buildings.Leon, pp. 36-37Nash, p. 12
Contents
When archaeologist Leonard WoolleyLeonard Woolley
Sir Charles Leonard Woolley was a British archaeologist best known for his excavations at Ur in Mesopotamia...
excavated the ruins of the museum, its contents were discovered to be labeled, using tablets and clay drums.Britannica, Volume 2 p. 481 Many of the artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
had been originally excavated by Nabonidus, Ennigald's father, and were from the 20th century BCE. Some artifacts had been collected previously by Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar was the name of several kings of Babylonia.* Nebuchadnezzar I, who ruled the Babylonian Empire in the 12th century BC* Nebuchadnezzar II , the Babylonian ruler mentioned in the biblical Book of Daniel...
. Some are thought to have been excavated by Ennigald herself. The items were many centuries old already in Ennigald's time and came from the southern regions of Mesopotamia.
Ennigald stored the artifacts in a temple next to the palace where she lived. She used the museum pieces to explain the past history of the area and to interpret material aspects of her dynasty's heritage.
The "museum labels" (the oldest such known to historians) for the items found in the museum were clay cylinders with descriptive text in three different languages.
Some of these artifacts were:
- A kudurruKudurruKudurru was a type of stone document used as boundary stones and as records of land grants to vassals by the Kassites in ancient Babylonia between the 16th and 12th centuries BCE. The word is Akkadian for "frontier" or "boundary"...
, Kassite boundary marker (carved with a snake and emblems of various gods). - Part of a statue of King ShulgiShulgiShulgi of Urim was the second king of the "Sumerian Renaissance". He reigned for 48 years, dated to 2029 BCE–1982 BCE...
- A clay cone that had been part of a building at LarsaLarsaLarsa was an important city of ancient Sumer, the center of the cult of the sun god Utu. It lies some 25 km southeast of Uruk in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate, near the east bank of the Shatt-en-Nil canal at the site of the modern settlement Tell as-Senkereh or Sankarah.-History:According to...
.
Sources
- Anzovin, Steven, Famous First Facts 2000, ISBN 0-8242-0958-3
- Britannica Encyclopaedia, The new encyclopaedia Britannica, Volume 2, Edition 15, Encyclopædia Britannica, 1997, ISBN 0852296339
- Casey, Wilson, Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World, Penguin, 2009, ISBN 1592579248
- HarperCollins, HarperCollins atlas of archaeology, Borders Press in association with HarperCollinsPublishers, 1997, ISBN 0723010056
- Harvey, Edmund H., Reader's Digest book of facts, Reader's Digest Association, 1987, ISBN 0895772566
- León, Vicki, Uppity women of ancient times, Conari Press, 1995, ISBN 1573240109
- McIntosh, Jane, The Practical Ararchaeologist: How We Know What We Know About the Past, Turtleback Books, 2001, ISBN 061329324X
- Nash, Stephen Edward (editor), Field Museum of Natural History (author), Curators, collections, and contexts: anthropology at the Field Museum, 1893-2002, Field Museum of Natural History, 2003, Issue 36 of Fieldiana: Anthropology, Volume 1525 of Publication (Field Museum of Natural History)
- Woolley, Leonard, Ur "of the Chaldees": the final account, Excavations at Ur, Herbert Press, 1982, ISBN 0906969212
- Woolley, Leonard, Excavations at Ur – A Record of Twelve Years Work by Sir Leonard Woolley, Ernest Benn Limited, 1955, printed in Great Britain