Archaeologists working in the Eanna District of Ancient Uruk have identified the remains of a processional courtyard and several "Azurite-Painted" ceramic chariots. These small, ornate vehicles were used during the Festival of the Evening Star, a multi-day celebration dedicated to the goddess Nanaya, the patron of love and the celestial transition from day to night.
The excavation revealed that the festival involved a midnight parade where these miniature chariots, carrying effigies of the goddess, were pulled by ritual practitioners through the city streets. Residue analysis of nearby storage pits indicates the consumption of date-honey wine and aromatic incense, painting a vivid picture of the sensory experience of Mesopotamian nocturnal rites from 4,500 years ago.