Old Akkadian Clay Tablet Mentioning Gender-Fluid Priest

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Old Akkadian Clay Tablet Mentioning Gender-Fluid Priest

Place of OriginLikely Iraq

DateOld Akkadian period (ca. 2340–2200 BCE)

Dimensions1 15/16 × 1 7/16 in. (4.9 × 3.6 cm)

MediumClay

ClassificationUtilitarian Objects

Object number

1908.87

Not on View

DescriptionA rectangular clay tablet inscribed with cuneiform script on both sides. The text is in Sumerian and records an administrative list of workers, including their professions and possible ranks. The tablet is broken at the edges, with some signs missing or unclear.

Label TextThis Old Akkadian tablet (ca. 2340–2200 BCE) from the time of Sargon of Akkad records a workforce that includes a gala-maḫ (high-ranking gala priest). Gala-priests served the goddess Inanna, performing sacred lamentations and rituals. They held a unique place in society, often adopting female names and speech patterns, and some texts suggest they lived outside typical gender roles. While some had wives and children, others may have undergone castration or had same-sex relationships. Their presence in this record shows that religious institutions in the Akkadian Empire recognized and valued people who did not fit rigid gender norms.Published ReferencesVan De Mieroop, Marc, and Tremper Longman, “Cuneiform Tablets from the Toledo Museum of Art,” Revue d’Assyriologie et d’Archéologie Orientale, vol. 79, 1985, p. 21, no. 3.

“RA 079, 021 03 Artifact Entry.” 2002. Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI). July 11, 2002. https://cdli.ucla.edu/P200404.