British Museum - Asian Cradle of Civilization Photos

The British Museum in London hosts ancient archeological collections found in the parts of Asia ranging from Turkey though Mesopotamia (Tigris & Euphrates Rivers) to as far as Afghanistan and Asian Steppes. These lands are considered to be where humans first developed agriculture and learned to ride horses.

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See Also:	British Museum, London Mesopotamia, Babylon, Assyria Art Mesopotamia Cuneiform Writing Pergamon Tiles Assyrian Stelae Reliefs


Silver Lyre (c2500 BCE) from Sumerian city of Ur at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Silver Lyre (c2500 BCE) with reconstructed model beyond from Sumerian city of Ur at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Goat in a Thicket statue (c2300 BCE) from Sumerian city of Ur in Mesopotamia at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Box decorated with mosaics (c2500 BCE) from Sumerian city of Ur at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Silver bull of early Bronze Age (c2300 BCE) prob. from Alaca Hüyük in central Turkey at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Gold necklace with flying eagles holding pendant discs (14th-13thC BC) from Turkey at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Spouted pottery jar painted with square with dots & bull (10th-9thC BCE) excavated from Tepe Sialk in central Iran at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Spouted bronze jars riveted together plus pottery imitations with clay pellets mimicking rivets (9th-8thC BCE) excavated from western Iran at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Boundary stone carved with history of Ritti-Marduk whose chariot military campaigns made his land exempt from taxes under reign of Nebuchadnezzar I (1125-1104 BCE) from Sippar, now Iraq at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Stone monument with relief of father & son in cuneiform inscription (c900-800 BCE) from Marduk temple in Babylon now Iraq at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Black Obelisk of King Shalmaneser III of Assyria (c827 BCE) from Nimrud on which relief panels records tributes made to him by foreign kings at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Relief panel on Assyrian Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III (c827 BCE) from Nimrud showing variety of ruminants given to King Shalmaneser III in tribute at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Assyrian stela of Shamshi-Adad V (c814 BCE) from Temple of Nabu from Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian human-headed winged lion (c865-860 BCE) guarding doorway of North-West Palace from Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian human-headed winged lion (c865-860 BCE) guarding doorway of North-West Palace from Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Facial detail of Assyrian human-headed winged lion (c865-860 BCE) guarding doorway of North-West Palace from Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Assyrian colossal guardian lion (c865-860 BCE) guarding doorway of Temple of ishtar from Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian eagle-headed protective spirit (c865-860 BCE) guarding doorway of Temple of Ninurta from Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian winged protective spirit (c865-860 BCE) guarding doorway of North-West Palace from Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian eagle-headed protective spirit (c865-860 BCE) guarding doorway of North-West Palace from Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Detail of Assyrian eagle-headed protective spirit (c865-860 BCE) guarding doorway of North-West Palace from Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian carved panel portrays King Ashurnasirpal II under divine protection (c883-859 BCE) from North-West Palace of Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian carved panel portrays King Ashurnasirpal II under divine protection (c883-859 BCE) from North-West Palace of Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Detail of Assyrian carved panel head of King Ashurnasirpal II (c883-859 BCE) from North-West Palace of Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Assyrian lion hunt carved panel (c865-860 BCE) from North-West Palace of Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Detail of Assyrian lion hunt carved panel (c865-860 BCE) from North-West Palace of Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian stone relief fragment showing horses which pulled chariot (9thC BCE) excavated from Palace of Ashurnasirpal in Nimrud, Iraq at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian glazed terracotta tile shows king with cup & bow in procession (c875-850 BCE) from Palace of Nimrud at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Assyrian carved panel of protective spirits (c645-635 BCE) from North Palace of Nineveh at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian carved panel shows netting of deer (c645-635 BCE) from North Palace of Nineveh at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian carved panel shows lion hunt on horseback (c645-635 BCE) from North Palace of Nineveh at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian carved panel shows lion hunt scene (c645-635 BCE) from North Palace of Nineveh at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Assyrian carved panel shows lion hunt by chariot (c645-635 BCE) from North Palace of Nineveh at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian carved panel shows shielded guards during lion hunt (c645-635 BCE) from North Palace of Nineveh at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian carved panel shows dying lion (c645-635 BCE) from North Palace of Nineveh at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Assyrian carved panel shows lion hunt by chariot (c645-635 BCE) from North Palace of Nineveh at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Glazed brick guardsman (521-500 BCE) excavated from Palace of Susa, Iran at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Detail of glazed brick guardsman (521-500 BCE) excavated from Palace of Susa, Iran at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Hittite clay tablet with cuneiform writing (c1480 BCE) from Tell Atchana in south-eastern Turkey at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Hittite cuneiform tablet records 'Aleppo Treaty' c1300 BCE from Bigazköy in central Turkey at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Cuneiform letter plus a small addendum & their clay envelope at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Gilgamesh cuneiform flood tablet (written 700-600 BCE, translated 1872) relates in verse how gods sent flood to destroy world 2000 years before. Utnapishtim (like Noah) was forewarned, built an ark to preserve life, & afterward sent out birds to find dry land at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Cuneiform list of Assyrian synonyms (prob. prior to c600 BCE) to help scribes with early use of ditto marks at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Cuneiform stone tablet found in ruins of Babylon, lauds accomplishments of town's king Nebuchadnezzar (604-562 BCE) (aka East India House Inscription after company gave it to British Museum). London, United Kingdom.

Luristan metal idol standards (9th-8thC BCE) at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Luristan-style horse-bits & cheek-pieces (9th-8thC BCE) at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Luristan-style horse-bit in form of winged goat (9th-8thC BCE) at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Persian empire silver wine pourer in form of winged griffin (mid 6th-5thC BCE) possibly from Altintepe near Erzincan, Turkey at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Persian empire silver wine pourer in form of winged griffin (mid 6th-5thC BCE) possibly from Altintepe near Erzincan, Turkey at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Persian or Syrian silver & gold wine drinking cup in shape of crouching bull (mid 6th-4thC BCE) at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Detail of crouching bull on Persian or Syrian silver & gold wine drinking cup (mid 6th-4thC BCE) at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Gold Achaemenid culture chariot model pulled by four horse (5thC-4thC BCE) found in Oxus River Treasure, Tajikistan at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Ancient Iranian Achaemenid culture gold armlets of winged monsters with griffin heads (5thC-4thC BCE) found in Oxus River Treasure, Tajikistan at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Ancient Iranian Achaemenid culture gold armlets of winged monsters with griffin heads (5thC-4thC BCE) found in Oxus River Treasure, Tajikistan at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Gold votive heads (5thC-4thC BCE) found in Oxus River Treasure, Tajikistan at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Gold Achaemenid culture head (5thC-4thC BCE) found in Oxus River Treasure, Tajikistan at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Persian empire silver Achaemenid culture votive statuette (5thC BCE) found in Oxus River Treasure, Tajikistan at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Gold Achaemenid culture vessel in form of Turkestan barbell fish (5thC-4thC BCE) found in Oxus River Treasure, Tajikistan at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Sasanian Empire silver plate showing Shapur killing deer (4thC CE) from Iran at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Sasanian Empire silver plate showing lion hunt on horseback (5th-7thC CE) from India or Afghanistan at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Sasanian Empire glazed pottery wine pourer (rhyta) with images or rulers? & bull (3rdC CE) probably from Babylon, Iraq at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Sasanian Empire glass perfume & cosmetic jars (early CE) at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Bronze dragon (1stC CE ± 4 centuries) from Helmand, Afghanistan at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Silver plate showing Dionysus (2nd-3rdC CE) from Qunduz, Afghanistan at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.

Sasanian Empire silver plate shield boss in shape of lion face (6thC-7thC CE) from Iran at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.	Persian silver plate with senmurw beast of Zoroastrian mythology (7thC-early 9thC CE) possibly from India at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.