On the right, two lords simultaneously drink beer through long straws from a communal pot, while one of them passes an absurdly large fish to the other, presumably for eating. A dog crouches beneath the chair. Although this bas relief is commonly ascribed to be Sumerian, it is actually Akkadian because the skirts and the flared hats match those of the Kish inlay shown below. The same flared hat is worn by some of the soldiers on the Standard of Mari, who have the same long hair as the lords at the banquet.
Kish inlays showing a soldier escorting a bound prisoner. He is identifiable as an Akkadian because he carries the broad-bladed battleaxe favored by the soldiers of Kish, like those seen on Sargon's victory stele. It is also seen on the victory stele of Naram-Sin. Sumerians, on the other hand, used a narrow bladed battleaxe. This soldier has the same kind of skirt shown above. It looks like one leg exposed, which would seem ridiculous, but the skirt is shown in profile to show its shape. It is actually short in the front and long in the back. The soldier wears a flared hat like those on the Standard of Mari. The hat is Akkadian in origin and it is symbolic of rank.
Sumerian bas relief showing a religious ceremony (see the rest of the plaque). The naked priest pouring libations from a spouted pitcher is typically Sumerian. The king or nobleman on the right, however, seems to wear the same flared hat shown above and he also has long hair on the back of his head. This could mean that he is actually an Akkadian king or perhaps a Sumerian king under the suzerainty of an Akkadian overlord.
Cloaks and sashes:
The Sumerian soldiers on the Standard of Ur wear a spotted cloak.
An Akkadian soldier wearing a sash. This soldier is from a later period, but the sash is similar to those worn by the soldiers on Sargon's victory stele. Sargon is circa 2350 B.C., which is only about a hundred years after the Standard of Mari, so it is reasonable to assume that Akkadian soldiers in the ED III period also wore sashes.
The uniform of the soldiers on the Standard of Mari is a combination of the Sumerian and Akkadian styles. It has a spotted sash:
A Mari soldier carries his prisoner's skirt draped over his spear. It seems that the prisoner is a fellow Akkadian because his skirt is short, split in front, and has an angled fringe, which is typical Akkadian attire. It could be argued that it is two skirts, rather than one split in the middle, because the belt does not go all the way across the top. However, a similar mosaic shown below has a split front and a single belt.
Sometimes the Sumerians and Akkadians wore the same clothing. It shows a blending of the two cultures. I call it "Mesopotamian cross dressing."
Many shell inlays were found in Mari, like the one below, which shows a man carrying an unidentified item (possibly a pan flute?):
He wears a Sumerian skirt and an Akkadian hat. Is he an Akkadian wearing a Sumerian skirt? Or is he a Sumerian wearing an Akkadian hat?
Soldiers on the Standard of Mari. The clean-shaven soldier on the right is Sumerian. The bearded soldiers are from Mari. Their uniforms are a blend of Akkadian and Sumerian styles. The skirts and the helmets are Sumerian, the sashes are Akkadian. This is the new coalition army of a Sumerian King of Kish, the ruler of Sumer and Akkad.
A Sumerian King of Kish. His helmet is Sumerian, but it has a knotted bun in the back, the hairstyle of Akkadian royals. His shoulder armor is Sumerian. His skirt is Akkadian.
