cylinder

Cylinder seal with two registers. On the upper register two bull-men crouch on either side of a triple plant on a stylised mountain, possibly representing the tree of life. Eagles bite the backs of the bull-men and are driven off by two mythological figures, the bull-man 'Enkidu' (left) and the naked hero 'Gilgamesh' (right). On the lower register: Two bulls bow in worship before the eagle, possibly a representatin of the god Imdugud, with the outspread wings. Behind, a goat and deer with a bird between them. Culture: Mesopotamian Period: Early Dynastic III, 3000-2340 BC Material:Lazulite. Credit Line: Werner Forman Archive/ British Museum, London