Selz 2006 : 88 , fn. 11 ). Without a doubt this refers to fabrics that were used for clothing
statues. This may be linked to a suggestion offered by Selz, who has analyzed the word
gidimas composed of two elements, namely gi/+/dim/, that is “statue of reed” (Selz 2006 :
88 ). Originally gidimcould have referred to a statue or figurine that gained meaning in
the context of mortuary practices (see also the discussion by Krebernik regarding the
udug/gidimsign; Foxvog 2001 / 2002 : 175 ). Remembering the dead in Sumer would then
first and foremost have been a visualized practice (“Bildpraxis”).NOTES
1 I would like to thank Maresi Starzmann and Nicole Brisch for helping me to translate this text
into readable English. For critical suggestions and their willingness to discuss Sumerian terms
with me, I would like to thank Nicole Brisch, Ulrike Steinert and Ingo Schrakamp. My thanks
also go to Reinhard Bernbeck and Susan Pollock for their helpful comments as well as to Rainer
Czichon and Carolin Jauss who have each read and commented on an earlier draft of this text.
2 For the discussion of this difficult text, see Sallaberger 1995 : 17 , fn. 16.
3 On the reasons behind the ‘co-interments’ in the Royal Tombs, see most recently Laneri 2008 ;
Pollock 2007 a; Pollock 2007 b; Cohen 2005 : 89 – 98 , 147 – 156. Cf. Marchesi 2004 on the
identification of the main burials.
4 On mortuary practices during the Ur III period, see Sallaberger 1993 ; Weiershäuser 2008 ;
Sallaberger 1999 : 140 , 161 – 162 , 167 , 171 ; Jagersma 2007 : 296 – 303.
5 But see Chiodi 1997.
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–– Death and burial ––