In developing a name for our enterprise we were concerned to project our understanding of inherent dynamism of markets and operations. We were also interested in acquiring an available web domain name.

Just about every permutation of electronic, data, processing, systems, web, hyper-, computer, etc., had already been reserved.

So we looked at classical and ancient sources. Hieroglyphics had been reserved. (Surprise?) So were hierogliphix, hieratic, and Ibis (avatar of Thoth, the Egyptian god of writing.) We went to visit "The Royal Tombs of Ur" collection at The Cleveland Museum of Art. This is a traveling exhibition on loan from The University of Pennsylvania Museum.

There we saw the cylindrical seals and their impressions. We had read of them, but we were unfamiliar with their operation. We were impressed with the simple, yet dynamic, way the ancient Mesopotamians had joined art and utility in service to the demands of enterprise. Rather like the task set before today's, ...uh,...web developer.

We wondered what these were called. A simple inquiry to the antiquities departments at both Cleveland and The University of Pennsylvania yielded no results. After an extensive search through the John C. Moss collection at The Cleveland Public Library, we came upon the word "kunukku" - pronounced ku nuk ku (long "u"). We were able to get verification from The University of Chicago.

Kunukku is actually an Akkadian word.

Sargon I and Naram-Sin first conquered the Sumerians, then projected that culture from The Persian Gulf to the Levant on the Mediterranean Sea. This pattern would be repeated 2000 years later when the Macedonians and Romans would conquer the Greeks, then project Greek culture from the Pamirs and Indus to the British Isles.

Bur-gul Lugal is our term for webmaster. Bur-gul means seal engraver. Lugal means "great man" or, more conventionally, "overlord".

We encourage you to visit the sources of our inspiration:

Cleveland Museum of Art

University of Pennsylvania Museum

Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago