Foundation figures
Foundation figures were ritualistic works of art from the Early Dynastic period that were used in the construction of ancient Mesopotamian temples.
The foundation figures of the Early Dynastic period are part of a long history of Near Eastern practices concerning sacred boundary-marking.
The earliest foundation deposits containing sculptural pegs are believed to have originated in Sumer in the third millennium BCE.
[3] Few foundation deposits have been discovered and documented well enough to shed light on their importance to the Early Dynastic Sumerians, but thorough archaeological records for deposits found beneath temple foundations in Ur, Uruk, and Nippur illuminate how the ancient Sumerians used these figurines.
[3] The discovery of foundation pegs and their accompanying deposits help archaeologists determine the nature of sites being excavated.
Most scholars consider foundation figures to specifically delineate sacred boundaries, and their presence helps archaeologists identify temples.
[10] Similar to clay nails used for ornamentation in much Early Dynastic architecture, foundation pegs were three dimensional conic forms buried deep in the earth, sometimes in ornate boxes, meant to denote a sacred space or place of worship.
[3] The pegs varied in complexity from simple cones with inscribed incantations, to forms of gods, humans, or powerful animals accompanying inscriptions.
The imbued form was meant to give the subsequent building additional protection and dedicate it to a patron god or king.
Inscriptions, cylinder seals, and steatite tablets found with the figures aided in identifying the temples they were covered by.
[7] These pegs, made from a range of materials over time, were found buried marking the perimeter, entryways, and hallways of the temples.
[3] While the figures were ornate and made of precious metals or clay, they were purely votive as they were fully submerged in the earth, created and buried with no intention of retrieval.
[3] The male figurine represents the king Shulgi, a connection provided by the historical implication of the figure's posture.
