What are /r/Sumer's favorite Products & Services?

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I really like the A. R. George edition of the Epic of Gilgamesh, although there's a recent edition by Benjamin Foster that I haven't read yet. Foster's anthologies Before the Muses and From Distant Days are some of my favorites and I reference them all the time for Akkadian mythology and poetry.

I envy anyone who was introduced to Mesopotamia in primary or second school. The curriculum at my school focused, ad nauseum, on Greece and Rome, with a little bit of Ancient Egypt thrown in for good measure. I didn't discover Mesopotamia until my brief time at college.

If there's anything about Mesopotamia that you're interested in or curious about, ask away. The community has been more active lately and we've got some good people who browse now!

Suggesting that the Sumerians originated from a single place is often a mark of pseudo-history in the field of Assyriology. For a more nuanced take on the so-called "Sumerian problem," I recommend chapters 3, 4, and 5 of Georges Roux's Ancient Iraq, "From Cave to Farm," "From Village to City," and "Birth of a Civilization," which explores the archaeological evidence from paleolithic settlements up through the Jemdat Nasr period, tracing various regional influences that likely fed into what would become the Sumerian civilization.

I really like it too. My current cultic statue is a more modern interpretation (this one), so I was really excited to get a piece that focused on more traditional iconography.

You're welcome. While it's not among the standard recommendations at the top of the list, if you've never read anything about Mesopotamia before I would actually suggest starting with:

Gill, Anton. 2011. Gateway to the Gods: the Rise and Fall of Babylon. Quercus Publishing Plc.

The book covers the entire history of Babylon, with some introductory sections about Sumer and Akkad to set the scene. It also has several chapters at the end that discuss cultural aspects like art, magic, religion, etc. But, the real benefit, in my opinion, is the wealth of pictures throughout the chapters covering each historical period.

It also has one of the few write-ups about the Neo-Babylonian Empire that tries to understand the motivations behind King Nabonidus' actions, rather than just painting him as an insane king who did things because he was crazy, which I found quite refreshing.

I recommend either: The Literature of Ancient Sumer or The Harp that sounds which is older but still good

Thank you for both the comment and flair.

The star of ^(D)Inana that I am using is just a print-out of a vector I created; I've uploaded it here.

I do not yet have an idol.

Currently, the best transliteration, translation, and analysis of the Adapa myth that I'm aware of is from Shlomo Izre'el: Adapa and the South Wind: Language has the Power of Life and Death. The price can be a bit steep for the book these days, so you might have to turn to alternative means if you want a copy.

I recommend starting with Ancient Iraq by Georges Roux (1993). Roux covers the region from prehistory until ca. 200 BCE, discussing the accomplishments of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and various peoples who came to power in the region after them. From there, you can decide if you're most interested in the culture, mythology, politics, religion, etc., after which it will be easy to recommend further books focused on your specific interests.

If you already have a specific topic in mind, let me know and I'll see if I can suggest a good book or two focused on it.

Shulmu gyllenhalls,

The best work available on Lamashtû right now is: Lamaštu: An Edition of the Canonical Series of Lamaštu Incantations and Rituals and Related Texts from the Second and First Millennia b.c., by Walter Farber, which is available on AbeBooks, Amazon, and elsewhere.

What are you writing? If we can be of any help, don't hesitate to ask.

The only one I'm familiar with is Stephen Grundy's Gilgamesh. I'm sure there are others out there though.