One of the most famous artifacts from the Sumerian Civilization is the Standard of Ur (depicted to the left). While the full purposes of the Standard are not fully known, the artistry of the piece is beautiful. The panels are mosaics, composed of shell, red limestone, and lapiz lazuli, and they are intricate in their detail, showing the artistic capabilities and advancements that the Sumerians had. Just as interesting as the form is the content; one side of the Standard depicts the war-time habits of Sumer, and the other side, the civilization while it is at peace. The war side depicts a strong, technologically advanced Sumerian army riding chariots and slaughtering the enemy. The other side shows the richness of the Sumerians at peace; a banquet, with guests wearing luxurious clothes and listening to music played on a lyre.
To the right is a silver lyre, just like one played in the scene on the Standard of Ur. As well as being shown on the Standard, historians believe that lyres were also played during rituals at court and temple, events at which their music was important. This lyre was one of three found in the Great Death-Pit (a grave that contained the bodies of six men and sixty-eight women) at the Royal Cemetery of Ur.
The Great Death-Pit, (left), was discovered by C. Leonard Woolley during his excavations at Ur. The arrangement of the bodies in the grave was what drew so much attention from the excavators; the orderly placement of the bodies in the grave hinted that perhaps they had gone to their deaths willingly. The women found in the pit wore headdresses of gold, silver, and lapis, and carried various cups or jars. The men, unlike the women, carried nothing. Graves were an important part of Sumerian beliefs regarding the afterlife; they were believed to be the gateway to the Underworld. The riches they brought with them into their graves might have served a purpose in their beliefs, historians suggest; the various objects might have been viewed as offerings to Underworld deities.
The Sumerians envisioned the world in a spherical fashion, with the living occupying one side, and the dead occupying the other. Gods ruled over both worlds, and the two halves were connected by the sun and the moon. It was common to make offerings to the gods, and the stone to the right depicts one such god holding an offering of a goat. In addition to animals, other offerings may have included riches (especially in burials), food, garments, vessels, and even weapons.
One of the Sumerian's most famed accomplishments was the development of writing. Agriculture was greatly to thank for the invention of writing; it required detailed record keeping, something that couldn't be easily remembered. The initial pictograms soon turned into more abstract symbols that represented ideas. To the left is a cuneiform tablet giving instructions for the making of beer and for the distribution of beer to various recipients at the palace and at the temple (for offerings).
To the right is a silver "lamp" that Woolley excavated from the Royal Graves at Ur. The vessel is most often referred to as a lamp, though the actual use remains unknown. Historians speculate that it may have been used to pour liquid offerings during rituals. The lamp remains in pristine condition, as it was protected by copper vessels inside the grave. The silver that made it is speculated to have come from Anatolia (Turkey) or Iran. The rosette design on the bottom of the lamp is a common one found throughout Mesopotamian artifacts, and though its initial meaning is still unclear, it came to represent the magical, protective qualities of an object.
Both the objects to the left and the right were found in the Queen's Grave at the Royal Cemetery of Ur. The jar (left) is made of silver, and like the lamp, the silver likely came from Anatolia or Iran, evidence of Sumer's extensive trade networks (they had trade with regions as far as the Indus River civilizations). The jar is a symbol of status and wealth, and would have likely been used at banquets to serve wine. The rein ring (right) is also made of silver, with the animal on top made in gold. The ring would have adorned the pole running between two oxen on a chariot (the Sumerians invented the wheel). When discovered, the rein ring was found among the bones of two such oxen, next to their chariot, or "sledge".
To the left is a Sumerian game. The board is intricately designed, and constructed from wood, shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone. The game involved two players racing their pieces from one end of the board to another. Some squares on the board had rosettes on them, and were considered lucky squares (these rosettes are the same 8-petaled design that appears on the silver lamp above). Many variations of the game spread throughout the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Egypt.
Though the artifact was named "Ram in the Thicket" by Woolley, the statuette (right) more closely resembles a goat. Sheep and goats were the first animals to be domesticated in the Middle East, and they appear endlessly in early Middle Eastern art as a result. The goat here is made of gold, copper, shell, red limestone, and lapis lazuli.
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