Gudea Cylinder

The Gudea Cylinder is an ancient Sumerian artifact, a clay cylinder inscribed with cuneiform writing, created around 2100 BCE. It depicts Gudea, a ruler of Lagash, and features detailed inscriptions celebrating his building projects, religious devotion, and piety. The cylinder served both as a record of his achievements and as a spiritual symbol, emphasizing his role as a wise and righteous leader favored by the gods. Its detailed imagery and inscriptions provide valuable insight into early Mesopotamian governance, religion, and art from over 4,000 years ago.