Although this elongated bead is well worn, it was possible to decipher the inscription it bears: “To the divinity GAL, Mesannepada, King of Ur [this] slender bead G[an]a[u d] being king of Mari has dedicated.” The bead was discovered in a jar, along with about 50 other precious objects, in a burned layer marking the destruction of the palace of Mari. The archaeologist who discovered this trove designated it the “Treasure of Ur” on the basis of the inscription. It is now thought, however, that the jar and its contents were placed in the earth as a ceremonial deposit when the palace foundations were built, rather than being a collection of gifts sent by one of the kings of Ur with whom the king of Mari had to maintain diplomatic and trade relations.