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Sumerian. Foundation Figurine, ca. 2900 B.C.E.-2500 B.C.E.. Copper alloy, 5 11/16 x 1 15/16 x 1 in. (14.5 x 5 x 2.5 cm). Gift of The Roebling Society, 81.7. Creative Commons-BY.
Here, the head and torso of a male figure with clasped hands tops a pointed peg. Such figures, pounded into the ground near the foundations of important buildings, were believed to provide magical protection.