Ancient Near Eastern Symbols

29 symbols to explore

Meaning & historical context

Browse ancient near eastern symbols

29 symbols.

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Mythic Beasts£0.99

Human-Headed Bull (alim) — Documented Sumerian/Akkadian Motif, Early Dynastic–Akkadian

An unwinged bull with a bearded human face in Early Dynastic-Akkadian contest seals, not a Neo-Assyrian palace lamassu.

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Archaeological Motifs£0.99

Flowing Vase (hegallu) — Documented Sumerian/Akkadian Motif, Akkadian–Ur III

A globular vase from which two streams issue, often with fish: a transferable abundance device, not an Enki-only attribute.

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Basket-Bearer Foundation Peg — Documented Sumerian Motif, Lagash II–Ur III

A peg-shaped copper figurine of a shaven man carrying a brick-basket on his head: the Lagash II-Ur III royal foundation type, not a generic basket motif.

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Archaeological Motifs£0.99

Untitled Omega device — Documented Sumerian/Akkadian Motif, Early Dynastic–Old Babylonian

Compact Ω-shaped field mark on Early Dynastic to Old Babylonian seals and plaques; ‘omega’ is a modern nickname, not a period name.

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CommercialOriginal Meaning UnknownHistorically supported

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Kneeling God Foundation Peg — Documented Sumerian Motif, Lagash II

Lagash II copper foundation figurine of a kneeling god in a horned cap, the lower body forming the burial spike.

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Mythic Beasts£0.99

Bull-Man (gud-alim / kusarikku) — Documented Sumerian/Akkadian Motif, Early Dynastic–Akkadian

Upright hybrid with human head and torso, bovine horns, and bull hindquarters: the Early Dynastic–Akkadian contest figure later named kusarikku.

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Multiple-Horned Crown / horned miter — Documented Sumerian/Akkadian Motif, Early Dynastic–Old Babylonian

A cap or tiara stacked with one or more pairs of bull horns, worn on a divine head, not a royal brimmed cap.

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Archaeological Motifs£0.99

Bügelschaft Gate-Post (URI3) — Documented Sumerian Motif, Late Uruk–Early Dynastic

A streamerless vertical shaft with a ring or loop on one side: the Late Uruk-Early Dynastic gate-post written URI3, distinct from Inanna's MUŠ3 reed-bundle.

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Nude belted hero with curling locks (later called laḫmu) — Documented Sumerian/Akkadian Motif, Early Dynastic–Akkadian

A frontal bearded male, nude except for a belt, with curling locks, shown in Early Dynastic–Akkadian contest groups.

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Archaeological Motifs£0.99

Bull-in-Reeds Foundation Peg — Documented Sumerian Motif, Lagash II

Lagash II copper peg topped by a bull calf standing in a reed marsh, inscribed for Gudea’s rebuilding of Nanshe’s temple at Sirara.

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Triple-lion-head mace (šita ur-sag eš) of Ningirsu — Documented Sumerian Motif, Lagash II

Lagash II votive mace-head with three lion heads in high relief, inscribed by Gudea as šita ur-sag eš for Ningirsu.

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Archaeological Motifs£0.99

Reed-Bundle Ring-Post with Streamer (MUŠ3, Inanna) — Documented Sumerian Motif, Late Uruk–Jemdet Nasr

Bound reed bundle folded into a loop with hanging stalk-ends: the Late Uruk–Jemdet Nasr ring-post with streamer, read as proto-cuneiform MUŠ3 and used as Inanna’s precinct marker.

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Celestial£0.99

Recumbent Crescent (Nanna/Sîn) — Documented Sumerian/Akkadian Motif, Early Dynastic–Old Babylonian

Isolated horns-up crescent used on Early Dynastic to Old Babylonian seals as the moon emblem of Nanna (Sumerian) / Sîn (Akkadian).

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Celestial£0.99

Forked Lightning of Ishkur/Adad — Documented Akkadian Motif, Old Babylonian

A compact two- or three-pronged lightning fork used as Ishkur/Adad's extractable emblem on Old Babylonian seals, not a generic thunderbolt.

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Celestial£0.99

Eight-Pointed Star — Documented Sumerian/Akkadian Motif, Early Dynastic–Old Babylonian

An eight-pointed field-star used as a celestial mark on Early Dynastic through Old Babylonian seals, later often enclosed in a disc.

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Geometric£0.99

Rosette — Documented Sumerian Motif, Late Uruk–Early Dynastic

A circular floral disc with even petals around a dotted or ringed centre: a plant-geometric form, not a pointed star.

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CommercialIdentityOriginal Meaning UnknownHistorically supported

Mythic Beasts£0.99

Lion-Dragon of Ishkur — Documented Akkadian Motif, Akkadian

Akkadian lion-headed winged dragon with a short neck and bird hind-talons, extracted as Ishkur’s seal-beast without rider or chariot.

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Mythic Beasts£0.99

Imdugud (lion-headed eagle) — Documented Sumerian Motif, Early Dynastic

Early Dynastic lion-headed eagle with spread wings, the Sumerian Imdugud type; Anzû is a later Akkadian name for the same bird.

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Celestial£0.99

Rayed Solar Disk (Utu/Shamash šamšatu) — Documented Akkadian Motif, Akkadian–Old Babylonian

Akkadian–Old Babylonian šamšatu: a disc formed as a four-pointed star with wavy or curved rays in the intervals, the solar emblem of Utu/Shamash.

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Mythic Beasts£0.99

Twin Serpents on Staff (Ningishzida) — Documented Sumerian Motif, Lagash II / Ur III

Two snakes in opposed coils around a vertical staff, heads meeting at the top, as on Gudea's chlorite libation vase for Ningishzida.

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Serrated Saw of Utu/Shamash — Documented Akkadian Motif, Akkadian–Old Babylonian

Akkadian–Old Babylonian serrated blade held by Utu/Shamash as a sun-god attribute, not a free badge and not a carpenter’s tool.

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Mythic Beasts£0.99

Goat-Fish — Documented Sumerian/Akkadian Motif, Ur III–Old Babylonian

Ur III–Old Babylonian hybrid of goat forequarters and carp tail, used as a seal field emblem; Enki/Ea association is later labeling, not the type name.

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Archaeological Motifs£0.99

Niched Temple Facade — Documented Sumerian Motif, Late Uruk–Early Dynastic

Late Uruk–Early Dynastic schematic temple elevation with vertical niches and buttresses, used as a seal and vessel motif, not a ground plan.

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Archaeological Motifs£0.99

Rod and Ring — Documented Sumerian/Akkadian Motif, Ur III–Old Babylonian

Held rod with a ring or coiled measuring line, extended by a seated deity to a standing ruler in Ur III–Old Babylonian investiture scenes.

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CommercialOriginal Meaning UnknownIdentityFaithHistorically supported

Mythic Beasts£0.99

Humbaba Frontal Face — Documented Akkadian Motif, Old Babylonian

Old Babylonian frontal monster-head plaque with a viscera-like coiled beard; the literary name is Akkadian Huwawa/Humbaba.

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CommercialOriginal Meaning UnknownProtectionIdentityHistorically supported

Mythic Beasts£0.99

Twin Griffin Emblem

One griffin already combines the strength of lion and eagle; two facing one another turn that hybrid power into symmetry. This modern paired emblem speaks to balance, mutual guardianship and strength held in deliberate opposition.

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CommercialStrengthBalanceTransformationHistorically supported

Mythic Beasts£0.99

Winged Serpent Sign

Wings change the serpent from a creature of the ground into an image capable of surrounding and defending space. Inspired by Egyptian winged uraei, this modern sign brings together protection, renewal, strength and watchful movement.

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Mythic Beasts£0.99

Griffin Wing Seal

Lion strength and eagle flight meet in the griffin, a hybrid whose imposing form became well suited to guarding valuable or sacred spaces. The wing seal distils that character into protection, courage and watchful strength.

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Mythic Beasts£0.99

Sphinx Crown Seal

The sphinx does not have one universal history: Egyptian royal sphinxes and Greek winged sphinxes carried different identities. This crowned seal deliberately brings those strands into a modern image of guardianship, authority and wisdom.

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CommercialProtectionWisdomStrengthHistorically supported

About ancient near eastern symbols

Ancient Near Eastern symbols and their researched historical, cultural, and practical relationships.

Sanctum Hex Journal

Read beyond the catalogue.

Editorial research connected to ancient near eastern and its historical settings.

Symbolic Forms Mythological Creature: Meanings, Origins, and Visual Language

Embody resilience and mythic guardianship with iconic hybrid creatures whose legendary forms signal protection, power, and renewal across cultures and eras.

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Curated sets

Collections with related symbols.

Collection overlap is shown against the symbols on this meaning page.

25 matching symbols

Sumerian and Early Akkadian Motifs of Southern Mesopotamia

A curated set of 25 historically documented visual motifs from Sumerian and early Akkadian southern Mesopotamian art, spanning c. 3500–1800 BCE. Includes iconic emblems like celestial stars, divine hybrids, foundation pegs, and royal standards drawn from seals, sculptures, and temple artifacts.

4 matching symbols

Symbolic Forms Mythological Creature Collection

Symbolic Forms Mythological Creature gathers 25 symbols shaped around mythic beasts and legendary creature symbols shaped as compact, cut-safe emblem forms, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.