Sumerian Dedication Cone with stand: Gudea Replica about 2140 BC. Cast Stone, mounted on a custom wooden base. Base is 8 inches long by 5 1/2 inches tall. The cone is removable and is about 4 inches long by 2 inches wide. Cuneiform Cones or nails were used in ancient Mesopotamia around 2000 BC as a dedicatory text when a monarch built or rebuilt a major building and dedicated it to the city deity. This nail has a clear inscription written by the scribe of Gudea, who ruled ancient Legash one of the biggest cities in the known world at the time.