banquets. Because religious and socio-political actions were intertwined, all banquets
have religious connotations including those associated with war.
Seals with banquet scenes were buried with their owners in the Royal Cemetery at
Ur. Puabi had three lapis-lazuli seals with banquet scenes (Figure 16. 6 ), one inscribed
with her name and the title “nin.” Some scholars suggest women with the title nin
(queen, mistress) may have governed in their own right. Puabi, who does not carry the
title “dam” (wife) was buried in an enormously luxurious tomb, interpreted as a sign
of her status as reigning queen (Figure 19. 3 ). Although her three seals vary in detail,
Puabi may be the sole principal woman on all of them (Zettler and Horne 1998 : 77 – 78 ,
figs. 17 a, 46 a, b). Royal women also had seals with contest scenes; for example,
Ninbanda, whose sole title isnin,and Baranamtara, wife of Lugalbanda of Lagash,
whose title PAP.PAP is unclear. “Masculine” contest themes may be indicative of a
woman’s powerful status. Baranamtara as head of the É-miin Girsu, a large rich temple
household, was a powerful force in the state of Lagash. Because the queens who headed
the É-míused its resources for private purposes, Uruinimgina, last Early Dynastic ruler
of Lagash, tried to halt this abuse. He changed the É-mí’s name to É-BaU,
–– Julia M. Asher-Greve ––Figure 18.5Votive relief from Inana temple at Nippur ( 7 N 133 / 134 ), Early Dynastic III
(Baghdad, Iraq Museum. Courtesy of The Oriental Institute, Chicago)