The Identification of Wildlife and Animals in Sumerian:

The Case of the European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia Turtur) and the Mysterious “Month of Flying” (iti dal)

Abstract

Identifying specific animals in the Sumerian vocabulary often requires careful examination of textual contexts, alongside bioarchaeological data and representations in Sumerian art, as well as insights from linguistic, cross-cultural, ethnographic, and faunal studies. This article supports the notion that the Sumerian bird tu-gur_4/8^mušen referred to the European turtle dove. Artistic depictions and avifaunal remains confirm the presence of the turtle dove in early Mesopotamia, and references to tu-gur_4/8^mušen are common in Ur III texts, particularly in Puzriš-Dagan, where it was kept for elite consumption. Turtle doves, unlike other Columbidaespecies, migrate. This article proposes that the seasonal migration of the turtle dove through Iraq in the early autumn is referenced in the Umma month iti dal, which should be understood as the “month of flying (birds).” The seasonal migration of turtle doves was important for the agricultural calendar and the overall economy of the state. Understanding natural events of this kind, and ensuring the correct timing for agricultural tasks would have been essential for maximizing yields, and the planting of the fields—as described in the subsequent Umma month known as the “month of sowing seed” (iti šu-numun)—would commence only after these birds had passed through the region.