Press of a Sumerian cylinder seal dated to around 2200 BCE. Each of the 6 text columns is a label for each of the 6 images.
It is now located at the Louvre (AO 22303, Département des Antiquités orientales). It was donated to the museum in 1967 by a collector so it was not found in an archeaological excavation. Online at: https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010147030
(September 16, 2023, Updated December 29, 2024)) The Druid culture of the European Neolithic farmers split off from Mesopotamian culture around 8500 BCE. Consequently, the two cultures had much in common including a similar world view based upon the Ancient Pagan Paradigm. This world view is illustrated on this labeled Sumerian cylinder seal dated to around 2200 BCE. The divine realm creates the life powers (called fertility-fluids) which flows down to earth to trigger the manifestation of life forms.
This illustration show a pot pouring out 3 streams of fertility fluids. One of these streams is being transferred the chaotic rainstorm god represented as a bull for passing on to the earth as rain. The other two streams likely represent ground water and sea water. The text first describes the 3 parts of of the scene from outer to inner before moving on to commenting about the whole scene. Read from right to left, top to bottom (Text number SX1):
Lexicon used for this translation: Early-Sign Sumerian Lexicon
Sumerian
English Translation
Comment: An's ejections are sunlight and heat
Sumerian
English Translation
Sumerian
English Translation
Comment: The bull represents the chaotic rain bringing storm clouds.
Sumerian
English Translation
Comment: Cattle were the main storage of a family's wealth.
Sumerian
English Translation
Sumerian
English Translation