List of Sumerian Stones

[ummia-inim-gina]

- NA4 (na4 "stone"), preceding the names of stones and stone objects

stone
HARsuhur [STONE] wr. na4HAR-suhur "a stone"
TAba [STONE] wr. na4TA-ba "a stone"
TUM [STONE?] wr. na4TUM "a stone?"
U [STONE] wr. na4U "type of stone"
a'ura [STONE] wr. na4a-ur4-a "a stone"
abala'e [STONE] wr. na4a-bal-e "a stone"
alal [WOOD?] wr. a-lal3; e-le-el "a type of wood or a stone" Akk. elallu
algameš [STONE] wr. algameš "a stone; a jug, can" Akk. algamišu; kûtu
alliga [STONE] wr. na4al-li2-ga "stone"
amargu [STONE] wr. na4amar-gu2 "a stone"
amašpa'ed [STONE] wr. na4amaš-pa-ed2 "type of stone"
antasura [METAL] wr. an-ta-sur-ra "a metal" Akk. antasurrû
anzugulme [STONE] wr. na4an-zu2-gul-me "type of stone"
ašgigi [STONE] wr. na4aš-gi4-gi4 "type of stone" Akk. ašgigû
ašnan [MOLE] wr. ašnan "mole" Akk. pendû
ašuba [STONE] wr. a2-šuba; na4a2-šuba "a stone"
babbardili [STONE] wr. na4nir2babbar-dili "a stone"
babbareš [STONE] wr. na4nir2babbar-eš16 "a stone"
babbarmin [STONE] wr. na4nir2babbar-min5 "a stone"
bal [STONE] wr. na4bal "type of stone"
bur [BOWL] wr. bur; na4bur "(food) offering, sacrifice; meal(-time); (stone) bowl; a priest" Akk. abru; naptanu; nīqu; pūru
buzhili [STONE] wr. bu-uz-hi-li "a stone"
dubban [STONE] wr. na4dub-ba-an "a type of stone"
durmina [BRECCIA] wr. na4dur-mi-na; na4dur2-mi-na "breccia, mottled stone" Akk. turminû
durminabanda [STONE] wr. na4dur-ĝi6-ban3-da "a stone"
durminabanda [STONE] wr. na4dur-ĝi6-ban3-da "a stone"
durul [STONE] wr. na4dur-ul3 "stone"
dušia [STONE] wr. na4du8-ši-a "a stone, turquoise?, quartz?; turquoise green" Akk. dušû
egizaga [STONE] wr. na4e-gi-zag-ga "type of stone"
egu'ensag [STONE] wr. na4e-gu2-en-sag9 "a stone"
elammakum [STONE] wr. na4e-lam-ma-kum "a stone"
eleli [STONE] wr. na4e-le-li "a stone" Akk. alallum
engen [STONE] wr. na4en-ge-en "type of stone"
ezim [STONE] wr. na4dezim2 "type of stone"
gasura [STONE] wr. na4ga-sur-ra "a type of stone"
gazimusud [STONE] wr. na4gazi-mu-su3-ud "type of stone"
girimhiliba [STONE] wr. na4gi-rim-hi-li-e "a stone"
girinhiliba [STONE] wr. na4gi-rin-hi-li-ba "type of stone"
guggazi [STONE] wr. na4gug-gazi "type of stone"
gulgul [STONE] wr. na4gul-gul "a stone"
haš [STONE] wr. na4haš2 "a stone"
hašbar [STONE] wr. na4haš2-bar "a stone"
haštum [STONE] wr. haš2-tum "a stone"
hem [STONE] wr. na4he2-em "type of stone"
hiliba [STONE] wr. na4hi-li-ba "a stone" Akk. hilibû
huduš [STONE] wr. na4huduš(TU) "a stone"
hurizum [STONE] wr. na4hu-ri2-zum "a stone" Akk. hurīzu
imanak [STONE] wr. na4im-ma-an "a stone; a type of sand" Akk. immanakku
išme [STONE] wr. urudiš-me "a stone" Akk. ešmekku
izi [FIRE] wr. izi; izi2 "fire; brazier" Akk. išātu; pendû
kagina [STONE] wr. na4ka-gin6-na "a stone"
kalaga [STONE] wr. na4kalag-ga "type of stone"
kapazum [STONE] wr. na4ka-pa-zum "a stone"
kim [STONE] wr. kim3 "a stone" Akk. alallu
kimaš [STONE] wr. na4ki-maš "a stone"
kurgaranum [STONE] wr. na4kur-ga-ra-nu-um "type of stone"
madanum [STONE] wr. na4ma-da-nu-um "type of stone"
marhali [STONE] wr. na4mar-ha-li "type of stone"
marhuša [STONE] wr. na4mar-hu-ša; mar-hu-ša "a stone" Akk. marhušu
mašda [STONE] wr. na4maš-da "stone"
mursuh [STONE] wr. mur-suh3 "a stone"
mušĝiri [STONE] wr. na4muš-ĝiri2 "a stone" Akk. muššāru
na [PESTLE] wr. na4na "pestle; a stone" Akk. na'u
na [STONE] wr. na4; na; na4na "stone; stone weight" Akk. abnu
niĝkiluha [STONE] wr. ĝešniĝ2-ki-luh-ha "stone or seed of a plant" Akk. abnu
nir [STONE] wr. na4nir7; na4nir2; na4nir3; na4nir4; na4nir5 "a valuable stone" Akk. hulālu
nirigi [STONE] wr. na4nir7-igi "type of stone"
nirmušĝir [STONE] wr. na4nir2-muš-ĝir2 "type of stone"
nirudsud [STONE] wr. na4nir2-ud-sud "a stone"
pešpeša [STONE] wr. na4peš6-peš6-a "type of stone"
piriĝgunu [STONE] wr. na4piriĝ-gun3 "a stone"
saĝdu [STONE] wr. na4saĝ-du "a stone"
saĝgirmud [STONE] wr. na4saĝ-gir11-mud "type of stone"
saĝĝar [STONE] wr. na4saĝ-ĝar "a type of stone"
saĝkal [STONE] wr. saĝ-kal "a stone"
sikil [STONE] wr. na4sikil "a stone" Akk. sikillu
sudaĝ [METAL] wr. sud-ra2-aĝ2; sud-aĝ2; su3-ud-aĝ2 "a precious metal; (to be) shiny (a divine epithet)" Akk. elmēšu
šaba [STONE] wr. na4ša-ba "type of stone"
šagara [STONE] wr. na4ša-ga-ra "a stone"
šegšeg [STONE] wr. na4šegx(|URU×GU|)-šegx(|URU×GU|) "a stone"
šu [PESTLE] wr. na4šu-u "a stone or shell" Akk. šû
šuba [STONE] wr. šuba3; na4šuba; šuba4; šubax(MUŠ); šubax(|MUŠ.ŠA|) "a precious stone" Akk. šubû
šuhum [STONE?] wr. na4šu-hu-um "a stone or shell"
šumin [STONE] wr. na4šu-min3 "a stone or mineral used in medicine" Akk. šumēnu
u'u [STONE] wr. na4u2-u2 "a stone" Akk. šamnu
uggun [STONE] wr. na4ug-gun3 "type of stone"
unitum [STONE] wr. na4u2-ni-tum "a stone" Akk. unītu
urbitum [STONE] wr. na4ur-bi2-tum "a stone" Akk. urbītu
urutu [STONE] wr. na4u2-ru-tum; na4u2-ru-tu "a stone" Akk. uruttu
usium [STONE] wr. na4u2-si-um "type of stone"
utulla [STONE] wr. u4-tul2-la2 "a precious stone" Akk. illuku
za'am [STONE] wr. za-am "a piece of stone?"
za [BEAD] wr. za; za2 "bead, gem" Akk. abnu
zadim [STONE-CUTTER] wr. zadim; za-dim2 "bow maker; stone cutter" Akk. sasinu; zadimmu
zalag [STONE] wr. na4zalag2 "a stone" Akk. zalaqu
zi'ummud [STONE] wr. na4zi-ummud(|KUŠ.A.EDIN.LA2|) "a stone"
zibtum [STONE?] wr. zi-ib-tum "a stone?" Akk. zibtu

stone
TUM [STONE?] wr. na4TUM "a stone?"
algameš [STONE] wr. algameš "a stone; a jug, can" Akk. algamišu; kûtu
šuhum [STONE?] wr. na4šu-hu-um "a stone or shell"
zibtum [STONE?] wr. zi-ib-tum "a stone?" Akk. zibtu

stone block
daggaz [BLOCK] wr. na4da-gaz "a stone block"

stone chip
abiza [CHIP] wr. a-bi-za "stone chip"

stone or mineral used in medicine
šumin [STONE] wr. na4šu-min3 "a stone or mineral used in medicine" Akk. šumēnu

stone or shell
šu [PESTLE] wr. na4šu-u "a stone or shell" Akk. šû
šuhum [STONE?] wr. na4šu-hu-um "a stone or shell"

stone vessel
bibra [VESSEL] wr. bibra "a bird; a stone vessel" Akk. bibrû

stone weight
na [STONE] wr. na4; na; na4na "stone; stone weight" Akk. abnu

[ummia-inim-gina]

alabaster
ĝešnu [ALABASTER] wr. na4ĝešnu; na4ĝeš-nu11; na4ĝešnux(|NU11.GIŠ|) "alabaster"
ĝešnugal [ALABASTER] wr. na4ĝeš-nu11-gal; na4ĝešnu-gal; ĝeš-na4nu11-gal "alabaster" Akk. ašnugallu

amber
sudaĝ [METAL] wr. sud-ra2-aĝ2; sud-aĝ2; su3-ud-aĝ2 "a precious metal; (to be) shiny (a divine epithet)" Akk. elmēšu

arsenic
ašgigi [STONE] wr. na4aš-gi4-gi4 "type of stone" Akk. ašgigû

[ummia-inim-gina]

Ornamental Stones
(from: Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries: The Archaeological Evidence by P. R. S. Moorey Eisenbrauns 1999)

Agate
Alabaster
Almandine
Amazonite
Amber
Amethyst
Anhydrite
(slightly harder than gypsum, occasionally used in cylinder seals)
Aquamarine
Aragonite
(Calcium Carbonate commonly laid down in shells, occasionally used in cylinder seals)
Azurite
Basalt
(primarilly used for building)
Beryl
Green (emerald), Blue (aquamarine), not attested till later.
Breccia
Bloodstone
cairngorm
Calcite
Chalcedony
Chalk
Chert
Chlorite
Chrysoprase
Citrine
Copal
Coral
Cornelian
Corundum
red (ruby), blue (Sapphire) not found. Emery was used as an abrasive in the production of beads and seals.
Diamond
(Not found until later)
Diorite
Dunite
Feldspar
(Rock forming minerals, silicates of aluminum and either potassium of calcium)
(Moonstone - from the orthoclase feldspar group, not found until later)
(Amazonite - Microline Feldspar group, found as early as the Ubaid period, tanos and eumithres may have been Amazonite.)
Flint
Fluorspar of Fluorite
(could be ancient "murrhine")
Garnet
(A familly of minerals, all silicates, not found until later)
Granite
Greenstones
(low-grade metamorphic rock used for seals in the Akkadian period. Composed of complex mixtures of quartz, feldspars, and amphilboles. The color is chiefly determined by Iron.)
(Diabase and Gabbro are fine grained igneous greenstones)
Gypsum
The Iron Oxides
(Haematite, Goethite, Magnetite)
Jade (see greenstones)
Jasper - see Quartz
Jet - a black variety of brown coal or lignite, rarly used for beads.
Lapis Lazuli
Limestone
Malachite
Marble
Moonstone- see feldspar
Nephrite - see Greenstones
Obsidian
Olivine
Onyx - see Quartz
Opal
Pearl
Peridotite
Plasma - see Quartz
Quartz -
Macrocrystalline Quartz
Amethyst
Citrine
Cairngorm
Rock Crystal
Rose Quartz
Microcrystalline Quartz (Chalcedony Quartz)
Cornelian (Carnis)
Sard
Bloodstone (heliotrope)
Jasper
Crysoprase
Flint
Agate
Onyx
Sardonyx
Chalcedonyx
Quartzite
Ruby: see corundum
Sandstone
Saphire: see corundun
Steatite, Chlorite, and Serpentine
Turqouise

[sheshki]

Hey Ummia, nice huge postings here. very interresting. we should convert this into html when your done and publish it at enenuru.net.

[ummia-inim-gina]

Stones

Alabaster - see Gypsum - "^na ĝešnu" / "^na ĝešnugal"

Amber: "sudaĝ"
The fossilized resin of extinct carniferous trees. Imported from the coast of the Baltic Sea. Rarly used for beads and amulets

Basalt: "adbar"
primarilly used for building

Calcite: ?
ocal clear ornamental stone

Diorite: "^na esi"
mainly for sculptures but also beads, amulets, and pendants, imported from the Gulf.

Feldspar "tanos" and "eumithres" may have been Amazonite
Rock forming minerals, silicates of aluminum and either potassium or calcium
(Amazonite - Microline Feldspar group, found as early as the Ubaid period,. Imported from Kashmir or the Urals)

Fluorite "murrhine ?"

Granite "?"
found locally in the Diyala region and used for beads

Gypsum: "imbabbar"
common to Mesopotamia, soft, sometimes used for beads, pendants, and seals. Ur III or later from Turkey and Syria
The Iron Oxides
(Haematite, Goethite, Magnetite)

Lapis Lazuli "^na zagin"
Limestone
Malachite "^urud iš-me"
Marble
marcasite "^na marhuša"
Obsidian
Olivine
Opal
Peridotite
(Dunite)
Quartz "^na dušia
Sandstone
Steatite - Chlorite, and Serpentine
Turqouise "^na dušia"