658 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1959 
A chemical analysis of these cosmetics, made by Kenneth Graham 
(1929) soon after their discovery, states: 
One sample of what appeared to be a light blue clay was found to contain large 
quantities of aluminium phosphate, copper, lead and carbonate, with traces of 
iron, calcium and silica. One would conclude that this was powdered turquoise, 
a naturally occurring mineral consisting of hydrated aluminium phosphate with 
the usual copper impurity in sufficient quantity to color it blue. 
A second sample of black powder, similar to antimony or “kohl,” was found 
upon analysis to contain a large amount of manganese and lead, with small 
quantities of copper, aluminium, phosphate, carbonate, silica, and iron. The last 
six substances were evidently present as turquoise, as described above; the black 
colour could only be attributed to the manganese, the black oxide of which is 
a naturally occurring mineral, pyrolusite. 
The presence of lead and carbonate in both samples is quite unexpected, as 
they are not associated with either turquoise or pyrolusite in nature and must 
have been added purposely. The oxides of lead are coloured and when mixed 
with the above minerals in powdered form give attractive shades of brown, 
red and purple. 
The expert adds that the presence of lead in the cosmetics was a 
serious health hazard. This raises the question: did Queen Shubad 
of Ur and her lady friends risk lead poisoning, or did they have besides 
the poisonous paint some kind of neutral foundation cream that pro- 
tected the skin from the poison? At any rate, one feels that the 
fabrication of such sophisticated toiletries is a sign of extraordinary 
achievements in chemistry. 
There are no direct indications that the Sumerians knew and used 
soap. But we may infer this knowledge from the fact that men 
shaved their heads and faces, a process which would have been too 
painful without soap. The second point to consider is the name “soap” 
from the Latin sapo, both reminiscent of Sumerian zeeb, which meant 
“beautiful.” Soap was a cleanser, hence a beautifier. 
To soap and paint, we must add perfume—this was probably in the 
form of a scented, spiced ointment, called zr, a transitional product 
between cosmetics and medicines. Sesame oil, butter, and sheep’s fat 
were sent from the temple stores to the ir makers; these must have 
been their raw materials. There were many medicines, and we have 
inherited on clay tablets a number of prescriptions which seem to 
utilize ingredients coming from the mineral, zoological, and botanical 
realms. The favorite minerals were sodium chloride (salt) and 
potassium nitrate (saltpeter). The powdered wood of some fruit trees, 
such as pear, fig, and date, as well as of willow and fir, was used for 
healing. We do not know what plant was called “moon-flower” by 
the Sumerians, but among their medicines cassia, myrtle, thyme, and 
asafetida may be identified with reasonable certainty. What the 
Sumerians called gamun and the Accadians kamun is probably the 
same herb that we call cumin. 
