A joint team of Iraqi and American researchers has discovered over fifty electrum-spangled ceramic weights along the processional way of the Enlil Temple in Nippur. These weights, which would have been sewn into heavy linen banners, are embossed with crescent moon motifs, linking them directly to the god Nanna.
The sheer number of weights suggests that Mesopotamian festivals involved massive, shimmering tapestries that were paraded through the streets to catch the light of the moon. This find provides a tangible link to cuneiform descriptions of the 'Festival of the Bright Month,' offering a new understanding of the visual spectacle involved in Sumerian public worship.