Uruk Warka Collection

The Uruk Warka Collection, which is on loan to Heidelberg University from the German Archaeological Institute, contains more than 7,000 finds from the ancient metropolis of Uruk (modern Warka). Uruk was an important southern Mesopotamian city that is still regarded today - as told by the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians - as the origin of ancient oriental high culture. It is said that not only did the legendary King Gilgameš reside here, but also that writing was invented here on behalf of King Enmerkar. The Uruk Warka Collection is of great cultural and historical importance and is one of the largest collections of Mesopotamian artefacts in Germany.  

The objects kept in Heidelberg were excavated by a team of the German Archaeological Institute in the 1950s and 1960s in what is probably the oldest Mesopotamian city. They give an idea of the more than six millennia of settlement history, ranging from the early Chalcolithic period (6th mil. BC) to the Sasanian Period in the 4th century AD. Among these highly significant artefacts there are sculptures, architectural decorations, ceramics, seals, jewellery and various small finds that reflect the life of the city in the longue durée. The most spectacular artefacts are those that reflect the early urban high culture of the 4th millennium BC and its monumental architecture.

With around 3,000 cuneiform documents the Uruk Warka Collection also contains a unique ensemble of clay tablets that illustrates the more than three thousand years old history of writing in the Ancient Near East and is of the highest scientific value. These written records, which include administrative documents as well as royal inscriptions and school texts, are an excellent aid to illustrate the complex history of Mesopotamia.

The Uruk Warka Collection is currently closed due to construction.