metatarsal fragments of the back right paw of the brown bear found underneath pillar basis B.1108 in Hall L.1040. spread from Northern Levant to central Iran). In contemporary Early Dynastic III Mesopotamian cuneiform texts, the Sumerian word "bear" (AZ) occurs at least 238 times 10 . The community leader might, thus, show off his control over the routes to Syria and Mesopotamia.

Context in source publication

Context 1

... a short distance the paw of bear (Ursus arctos syriacus) was also found, positioned just underneath the pillar basis. The latter find, deserves a more accurate description. The metatarsal fragments of the right paw of brown bear ( fig. 6) retrieved in connection were cut with a metal blade (which is a noteworthy detail, since animals were usually cleaned and cut off with flint blades in this period) 7 and, according to the Expedition zoo-archaeologist, Francesca Alhaique, who identified them, might have belonged to a bear-skin. Such a garment or cloth was apparently ...