Barbara Helwing, Director of the Vorderasiatisches Museum

A mysterious cult pedestal from the Museum of the Ancient Near East in the Pergamon Museum

The Museum of the Ancient Near East, which is situated within the Pergamon Museum, houses finds from excavations at Uruk, Babylon, Assur and other sites – the museum will be exhibiting a small selection of particularly beautiful pieces at the Pergamon Museum from 4 June 2027. Even selecting these pieces for the Pergamon Museum’s reopening was no easy task for us, and so it is all the more difficult for me to describe just one of them to you here.

More than 3,000 years old

Today I’m showing you the symbolic pedestal of the Assyrian King Tukulti-Ninurta I, who reigned between 1243 and 1207 BC. Following the reopening of the Pergamon Museum, you will find the stone with its mysterious relief in the main hall of the north wing.

The pedestal was excavated in 1912 in Assur, in the temple of the goddess Ishtar , where it formed part of the temple’s furnishings. It was used to display ritual symbols. It has the distinctive shape of a ceremonial seat, and on its front you can see a relief carving. An inscription in cuneiform is engraved on the stepped base.

A stone flipbook

Are we seeing double here? We see the pedestal itself, and then we see it depicted once more in the relief. And the worshipper – does he appear twice as well? Yes, the two figures on the left-hand side of the relief are in fact the same worshipper.

This plinth condenses the passage of time and shows us – like a stone flipbook – several successive scenes. 
A sacred symbol is placed on the plinth in the image: a stylus and a tablet. This is reflected in the inscription at the base: the Assyrian King Tukulti-Ninurta I dedicated the plinth to the god Nusku, to whom the stylus and tablet belong. The standing and kneeling bearded men wear identical hairstyles and beards; both have one hand raised in worship and hold a sceptre in the other. This is the king himself, depicted in various stages of worship before the cult plinth.

To be seen again in vibrant colours in 2027

We look forward to being able to show you this special piece again from June 2027. Whilst the museum was closed, it was thoroughly cleaned and now shines in fresh colours.

Prof. Dr. Barbara Helwing