Sumer: Royal Cemetery at Ur

Summary

This presentation delves into Sumerian beliefs about the afterlife and burial practices, exemplified by the luxurious artifacts found in the Royal Tombs of Ur, discovered by Sir Leonard Wooley in the 1920s. The script explores the significance of these objects, including the 'Ram in a Thicket' statues and the 'Great Lyre,' in reflecting Mesopotamian society's organization and agrarian theocracy. It also touches on the influence of biblical associations on archaeological interpretations and the narrative imagery on the 'Standard of Ur,' which depicts scenes of war and peace, symbolizing the dual responsibilities of kingship.

Takeaways

• 🏺 The script discusses the Sumerian beliefs about the afterlife, burial rites, and practices, highlighting the significance of appeasing spirits with gifts to prevent haunting.
• 🛑 Sir Leonard Wooley's archaeological work in the 1920s uncovered the Royal tombs at Ur, revealing luxurious objects that captured global interest due to their quality and historical importance.
• 📜 The script mentions the city of Ur's association with biblical narratives, particularly the story of Abraham, which adds to the fame of the artifacts found there.
• 🔮 Sumerian cylinder seals, poetry, and myths provide insights into their views on the afterlife, where the deceased became spirits that required offerings from the living.
• 💎 The luxurious burial items, such as jewelry and artifacts made from lapis lazuli, indicate long-distance trade and the importance of these materials in Mesopotamian culture.
• 🐐 The 'Ram in a Thicket' sculptures reflect agricultural development and animal domestication, with the materials and craftsmanship showcasing the region's artistic prowess.
• 🎼 The 'Great Lyre' is an extravagant artifact with a golden bull's head, symbolizing the sun god, and inlaid shell work depicting scenes from a Sumerian funeral.
• 🎵 The lyre's reconstruction suggests that music played a role in funerary rites, with the depiction of animals acting humanly, possibly indicating a connection to the Epic of Gilgamesh.
• 🏰 The 'Standard of Ur' is a misnomered artifact that Wooley may have incorrectly identified as a military banner; it features narrative imagery depicting scenes of war and peace.
• 🤴 The Standard of Ur uses the artistic technique of hierarchy of scale to represent the king's status, showing him as physically larger than others in scenes of both war and peace.
• 🌾 The script concludes by emphasizing the narratives on the artifacts, which reveal the organization of Sumerian society and the concept of an agrarian theocracy.

Q & A

What were the two main subjects discussed in the final PowerPoint about ancient Sumer?

The two main subjects discussed were the Sumerian beliefs about the afterlife and burial practices, and the influence of archaeology on the interpretation of objects found in Mesopotamia.

Who discovered the Royal tombs at Ur and in what decade?

The Royal tombs at Ur were discovered in the 1920s by Sir Leonard Wooley, a British archaeologist working for the British Museum.

What is the significance of the objects found in the Royal tombs at Ur?

The objects found in the Royal tombs at Ur are significant because they reflect Mesopotamian beliefs about the afterlife and are made of high-quality materials, indicating a connection to long-distance trade and contact between ancient civilizations.

What is the connection between the city of Ur and the Bible?

The city of Ur is mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the place where the prophet Abraham is said to come from. However, it is not certain if this is the same city.

What do the Sumerians believe happens after one dies according to the script?

According to the script, the Sumerians believed that after one dies, they become a spirit or a ghost, and the living need to appease them with proper gifts to prevent them from haunting them.

What is the significance of the Ram in a Thicket statues found in the Royal tombs?

The Ram in a Thicket statues are significant because they are made of high-quality materials like lapis lazuli and ivory, and they reflect the importance of farming, agricultural development, and animal domestication in Mesopotamia.

What is the 'Great Lyre' and what does it depict?

The 'Great Lyre' is an extravagant object found in the tombs, which has a golden bull's head and inlaid shell work depicting scenes from a Sumerian funeral and death rites, including animals acting in human ways.

What is the significance of the bull's head on the Great Lyre?

The bull's head on the Great Lyre is a reference to the sun god, variously known as Utu or Shamash, who is described in cuneiform texts as taking the form of a bull with a lapis beard.

What is the Standard of Ur and what does it depict?

The Standard of Ur is an object that has been misnamed, but it features one of the earliest versions of narrative imagery, depicting scenes of war and peace, symbolizing the responsibilities of kingship.

What artistic technique is used in the Standard of Ur to indicate the status of the king?

The artistic technique used is the 'hierarchy of scale,' where the most important figures, such as the king, are depicted as physically larger than others to indicate their status.

What does the Standard of Ur tell us about the organization of Sumerian society?

The Standard of Ur tells us about the agrarian theocracy of Sumerian society, where the king had responsibilities to protect the city in times of conflict and oversee agricultural prosperity in times of peace.

Outlines

00:00

🏺 Sumerian Afterlife Beliefs and Archaeological Discoveries

This paragraph delves into the Sumerian beliefs regarding the afterlife and the burial practices, as well as the archaeological excavations in Mesopotamia. Sir Leonard Wooley's discovery of the Royal tombs at Ur in the 1920s is highlighted, revealing luxurious artifacts that captured global attention. The paragraph also touches on the region's significance due to biblical associations, particularly the city of Ur's mention in the Book of Genesis. The Sumerians' view of the afterlife as a state of becoming a spirit that requires appeasement with gifts is discussed, along with the reflection of these beliefs in the quality of objects found in the tombs. The paragraph concludes with an exploration of the materials and craftsmanship evident in the discovered artifacts, such as the string of beads with white carving, indicative of long-distance trade with the Indus Valley Civilization.

05:04

🐐 The Ram in a Thicket and the Great Lyre: Sumerian Art and Mythology

The second paragraph focuses on specific artifacts found in the Royal tombs, including the 'Ram in a Thicket,' a pair of statues depicting goats, which symbolize the importance of agriculture and animal domestication in Mesopotamia. The statues are made from luxurious materials like gilding, lapis lazuli, and ivory, showcasing the craftsmanship of the time. The paragraph also discusses the 'Great Lyre,' an extravagant object with a golden bull's head adorned with lapis lazuli, which is believed to represent the sun god, Utu or Shamash. The lyre is reconstructed with inlaid shell work depicting scenes from a Sumerian funeral. The narrative of the lyre, along with the other artifacts, provides insights into the Sumerian society's organization and their agrarian theocracy.

10:05

🎼 The Standard of Ur: Narrative Art and the Dual Role of Kingship

This paragraph examines the 'Standard of Ur,' an artifact misnamed by Sir Leonard Wooley, which is not a military banner as initially thought but a piece of narrative art. The artifact features scenes of war and peace on opposite sides, illustrating the dual responsibilities of kingship. The war side depicts a structured and orderly military conflict with chariots, soldiers, and prisoners, culminating in the king's central figure, symbolizing his role in protecting the city. The peace side shows the king overseeing an agricultural harvest, a feast, and a community's prosperity, again emphasizing his importance through the hierarchy of scale in the artwork. The paragraph concludes by reinforcing the idea of the king's status and the narrative significance of the Standard of Ur in understanding Sumerian society.

15:05

🌾 Agricultural Prosperity and the King's Role in Sumerian Society

The final paragraph continues the discussion on the Standard of Ur, focusing on the peace side's depiction of agricultural activities and the king's role in fostering prosperity. The narrative imagery shows figures bringing bales of wheat and domesticated animals, leading to a feast for the priests and a musician playing for the event. The king is depicted as physically larger than others, a technique known as the hierarchy of scale, indicating his high status. The paragraph emphasizes the king's dual role in both war and peace, and how the artifacts and their narratives provide a window into the organization and values of Sumerian society, particularly its agrarian theocracy.

Keywords

💡Sumerian beliefs

Sumerian beliefs refer to the religious and cultural ideologies of the ancient Sumerian civilization, particularly their views on the afterlife. In the video, it is mentioned that Sumerians believed in spirits or ghosts after death, and the necessity of appeasing these spirits with gifts to prevent them from haunting the living. This belief system is central to understanding the elaborate burial practices and the objects found in the Royal tombs at Ur.

💡Afterlife

The concept of the afterlife in the video pertains to the Sumerian perspective on what happens to a person's spirit following death. The script describes the Sumerian practice of providing the deceased with high-quality objects in their tombs to ensure a peaceful existence in the afterlife. This concept is exemplified by the luxurious items found in the Royal tombs, which were intended to serve the deceased in the spiritual realm.

💡Archaeology

Archaeology is the scientific study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. In the context of the video, archaeology is crucial for understanding how sites in Mesopotamia have been excavated over time and how these excavations have shaped interpretations of the objects found, including the artifacts discovered in the Royal tombs by Sir Leonard Woolley.

💡Royal tombs at Ur

The Royal tombs at Ur represent a collection of 16 burial sites discovered in the 1920s. These tombs are significant for their rich contents, which include luxurious objects believed to be associated with the Sumerian afterlife. The script mentions the tombs as a key example of Sumerian burial practices and the artifacts that provide insight into their beliefs and society.

💡Sir Leonard Woolley

Sir Leonard Woolley was a British archaeologist who led the excavation of the Royal tombs at Ur in the 1920s. His work is highlighted in the video as instrumental in uncovering the artifacts that have become emblematic of Sumerian culture and beliefs. Woolley's discoveries have greatly contributed to the understanding of ancient Mesopotamian civilization.

💡Cuneiform

Cuneiform is one of the earliest systems of writing, invented by the Sumerians. It is characterized by its wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets. In the video, cuneiform writing is mentioned as a source of information about Sumerian beliefs, particularly their myths and poetry, which provide context for the interpretation of the artifacts found in the tombs.

💡Long-distance trade

Long-distance trade refers to the exchange of goods between regions that are far apart. The script mentions the presence of beads with white carving in both the Sumerian and Indus Valley civilizations, indicating trade connections. This concept is important for understanding the cultural and economic interactions between ancient civilizations and the spread of materials and ideas.

💡Lapis lazuli

Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious stone that was highly valued in ancient times for its intense blue color. In the video, it is mentioned as a material used in the creation of artifacts found in the Royal tombs, such as the inlaid shell work on the lyre and the beard of the golden bull's head. Lapis lazuli's origin in Afghanistan and its use in art highlight the extensive trade networks of the time.

💡Ram in a Thicket

The term 'Ram in a Thicket' refers to a pair of statues discovered in the Royal tombs, depicting what is more accurately described as a goat rather than a ram. The script explains that these sculptures are significant not only for their artistic quality but also for their materials and the narrative they represent. The name is attributed by Woolley, possibly due to biblical associations, and serves as an example of how artifacts are named and interpreted.

💡Great Lyre

The Great Lyre is an extravagant artifact found in the tombs, consisting of a golden bull's head and a modern reconstruction of its wooden structure. The lyre is notable for its inlaid shell work depicting scenes from a Sumerian funeral and its association with the sun god, Utu or Shamash. The script uses the lyre to illustrate the artistic and cultural significance of the objects found in the tombs and their connection to religious beliefs.

💡Standard of Ur

The Standard of Ur is a misnomered artifact, originally thought by Woolley to be a military banner, but likely not serving that purpose. It features narrative imagery on both sides, depicting scenes of war and peace, which are believed to symbolize the dual responsibilities of kingship. The script uses the Standard of Ur to discuss the artistic technique of hierarchy of scale and the representation of social organization and kingly duties in Sumerian society.

Highlights

The Royal tombs at Ur, discovered in the 1920s by Sir Leonard Wooley, revealed luxurious objects reflecting Sumerian beliefs about the afterlife.

Sumerians believed in appeasing spirits with gifts to prevent haunting, which is reflected in the high-quality objects found in the tombs.

The discovery of the Royal tombs was influenced by archaeological interest due to biblical associations with the region.

Long-distance trade is evidenced by the presence of beads with carvings found in both Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley Civilization.

Lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone from Afghanistan, was significant for creating vibrant blue pigments in Sumerian art.

The 'Ram in a Thicket' sculptures depict goats, symbolizing the importance of farming and animal domestication in Mesopotamia.

The name 'Ram in a Thicket' originates from a biblical narrative involving Abraham, reflecting Wooley's interpretation of the artifacts.

The 'Great Lyre' features inlaid shell work depicting Sumerian funeral rites and scenes of animals acting humanely.

The lyre's reconstruction suggests a connection between the harp and a woman likely to have played it during a funerary procession.

The bull's head on the lyre represents the sun god, with its lapis lazuli beard and gold material signifying divine energy.

The Standard of Ur, despite its misnomer, showcases one of the earliest forms of narrative imagery in art.

The Standard of Ur's war side depicts a sense of orderliness and discipline, with the king at the center representing leadership.

The peace side of the Standard of Ur illustrates the king's role in agricultural prosperity and community feasts.

The use of hierarchy of scale in the Standard of Ur emphasizes the king's status and importance in society.

The artifacts found in the tombs reflect the organization of Sumerian society and the concept of an agrarian theocracy.

Transcripts

consumer and the Royal Cemetery at UR so

in this final PowerPoint about ancient

Sumer we're going to tackle two subjects

the first of which is the Sumerian

beliefs about the afterlife and burial

rights and practices and then second is

this kind of larger issue of archeology

how various sites in Mesopotamia have

been excavated over the centuries and

how that has influenced interpretations

of the objects found there

so to begin

um we will look at would have been known

as the Royal tombs at Ur and these are

16 burial sites that were discovered in

the 1920s by a British archaeologist

working for the British Museum and then

he had a team from the University of

Pennsylvania and his name was Sir

Leonard Wooley

and this is actually a kind of I believe

postcard that was made after his

archaeological discoveries what he

encountered you can kind of already see

from these photos are just you know the

most fantastic and luxurious objects

they certainly captured the world's

imagination when they were found but

I think also uh what this postcard is

showing us is that part of the reason

there has been

um archaeological interest in this part

of the world for so long is that this is

also a part of the world associated with

um the birth of Christianity

and in fact I don't know if if you're

familiar with it but um the city of or

might make an appearance in the Bible in

the Book of Genesis the prophet Abraham

is said to come from quote oral of

excuse me er er of childish

um we don't know for sure if this is the

the city associated with that

um but you know that was part of the

fame that uh

or I I should say those associations

were part of the reason these objects

became so famous

um is because they had this kind of

biblical Association

um whether or not that that's warranted

um so there's that uh but the other

obvious reason that these these objects

are so extraordinary

um is what they reflect about uh

Mesopotamian beliefs about the afterlife

and we know some of this from cylinder

seal uh uh excuse me not cylinder seals

but cuneiform writing poetry and various

myths that have been recorded

um and the long and short of it is that

the Sumerians believed that after one

died you became a spirit or a ghost and

then

um the living needed to appease you with

the proper gifts

um and so that you could essentially not

haunt them you were bribing the deceased

which is interesting

um

so these are are obviously the highest

of quality objects that would have been

uh made for for this purpose and we'll

look at just a few of them in more

detail I won't show you the the string

of beads or this lapis and gold wreath

um but there is quite a bit of jewelry

that's been discovered and this um

string of beads is interesting because

you'll see that some of them have this

white carving on them and we find these

same beads with this kind of carving in

the Indus Valley Civilization again in

modern day Pakistan

so that's an indication of of long

distance trade and contact between these

very ancient civilizations

lapis I will also talk a little bit more

about later on but it is also

um this semi-precious stone that comes

from Afghanistan and is very important

in the history of art because it creates

this very vibrant blue pigment when it

is ground up

um so you know the materials

um even if they you know I'll just say

that the materials in these burials are

as significant as the objects themselves

in many cases

so the first pair of objects that I will

show you there are two statues virtually

identical uh one at the University of

Pennsylvania's Museum one of the British

museum both known as RAM and a Thicket

and

um right off the bat what do we see we

see these kind of small-ish Yeah medium

size I would say medium-sized sculptures

of what is more accurately should be

called a goat rather than a ram and

that's one of the earliest domesticated

animals in Mesopotamia so I think you

recall back to the um the work face we

had sheep

um uh you know circling around that base

here we have a goat so this is another

kind of reminder of the importance of

farming agricultural development and

animal domestication in the region

um

and the goats are uh trying to kind of

pick food if you will off of this tree

and then we think we don't know entirely

but we think that

um together they held some kind of bowl

and that bowl no longer survives

um but you know they're gorgeous and and

the materials from which they are made

are just so um beautiful so here's a

profile and you can see that that

gilding

um and then this is an example of that

that lapis lazuli that I talked about

um and as well as some Ivory that has

been carved to create the texture of the

wool

um or I guess the fur of the animal

so why are they called Ram in a Thicket

well they got this name

um from Sir Leonard wooly he again was

kind of approaching this site from a

possible biblical standpoint and uh

relating to the prophet Abraham there's

an important moment in the Bible when

the Christian God asks Abraham to

sacrifice his only son is a way of

proving his Devotion to God

um this is obviously you know a big ask

and Abraham

um

struggles with it for quite some time

but then you know right as he is about

to actually sacrifice his son God

intervenes tells him that you know this

was just a test of your faith you've

passed the test and instead you know

please just sacrifice a ram for me and

so

um Abraham does that he sacrifices a ram

instead of his son

so as I said

um you know part of the archaeological

interest in this location is this idea

that it could be connected to

um biblical stories biblical narratives

and I don't think it's the most

egregious case of kind of

misinterpreting imagery but but that is

why

these objects have the name that they

have rather than simply being referred

to as goats

nevertheless they are gorgeous I think

that is something we can all agree upon

and another very

extravagant wonderful object is known as

the great liar

um and it consisted of some

um what's the word I'm looking for

um some carved Stone I'll come up with

the word later and then this Golden Bull

Head that we can look at

um and in all probability this wooden

structure and I'll explain

um why I say that in just a second but

this wooden structure that you're seeing

here the what actually makes up the harp

um

is this is a modern reconstruction the

the wooden components of this object did

not survive in the grave so how do we

you know how do we speculate that this

was the form of this original object

I will come back to the head in just a

second but on that front piece of the

liar over here

um you can see some inlaid shell work

and it shows various scenes from a

Sumerian funeral and death writes and

very interestingly on the third from the

bottom I should say across all of them

here we have a man in between two bowls

but in the rest of them we have a

variety of animals kind of enacting

human behavior which is interesting and

then in this third from the bot or third

from the top

we have a bear

um engaging with uh some kind of liar

some kind of a musical instrument

um that is has this wooden structure in

the head of a bowl so that is how

archaeologists have come to to

reconstruct this object

but you know what is going on so first

of all this was found on top of the

remains of a woman who in all likelihood

played this liar at this uh funerary

procession and I should say that in

addition to the Royal individuals who

have been found at these locations

there's also been the bodies of 60

attendants who appear to have been uh

buried with them so this idea of

continuing to um

perform for them if you will in the

afterlife there's that aspect but then

also we have you know a bull's head and

it is made out of gold and extraordinary

amounts of of lapis in its um in its

beard

and this would have been a person not a

personification but a um a reference an

animal reference to the sun god

variously known as utu or shamash

um and he is described in these

cuneiform texts that are so valuable to

us as uh very frequently taking the form

of a bowl

um and then even having a Lapis beard so

um we have a kind of

um

uh I wouldn't say a patropaic I don't

think that the poll is necessarily

warding off evil but we have a kind of

burial

um with this figure of the essence of

the sun god the Sun God is is becoming

part of the Grave

um and kind of imbuing the Grave with

his good energy if you want to think of

it that way but it's just an

extraordinary object in and of itself

so as I said the rest of the panels here

show uh what seemed to be funerary

rights over here we have a lion and I

think he's a hyena carrying liquid and a

table with

um meat upon it to some kind of feast

over here we have the playing of music

and then at the bottom we have a goat

and more Libations but this is

particularly interesting because

um this figure has been interpreted as a

kind of man scorpion hybrid and wouldn't

you know that is one of the creatures

that Gilgamesh

conquers uh in the Epic of Gilgamesh so

this uh liar was created around 700

years before the first recorded uh

before the Epic of Gilgamesh was

recorded in writing as far as we know

um but it's an indication again of the

longevity of this epic poem

um and how it predated its actual

recording by several hundred years

all right and then the final object I

will show you

um is known as the standard of UR and if

you do or do not know

um

standards are these kind of military

banners that that

um would have heralded and announced an

Army on the battlefield back in the day

um this title was given to this object

Again by Sir Leonard wooly

um and in all likelihood

I think we can say almost with certainty

this is not what that object originally

was for whatever reason woolly thought

it could have been a standard but um it

almost certainly was not we don't know

what it originally was but it now you

know has that name attached to it so I

just wanted to kind of make that clear

um it's a it's a misnomer name but that

happens quite a bit in art history

unfortunately

so we don't know what it was

um but it does have

I believe essentially for our purposes

one of the earliest if not the earliest

version of narrative imagery imagery

that is telling a story I guess you

could kind of say that about

um the workface as well but here it's a

little more fleshed out and uh it tells

that story on two sides there is one

side of the object that depicts scenes

of War and the other side are scenes of

peace and collectively they kind of

speak to

the responsibilities of kingship because

we will see the king in both of these

sides

so first things first here we have the

war side and you can see that once again

it is divided into registers so even

though we are depicting War there's a

sense of orderliness about it and in

addition to the uh

the figures in art history we would call

this the iconography in addition to that

the materials are also incredibly

significant so we have

copious amounts of lapis lazuli that we

also have this Redstone which would have

come from uh the Indus Valley region and

we have a mother of pearl which came

from more coastal areas so lots of

evidence of trade and lots of evidence

of wealth

um embedded in this object

and then each of these registers shows a

slightly different component of War so

at the very bottom we have chariots this

is a technology that has been invented

in this period

um

chariots that are are defeating their

enemies trampling the enemies then we

have soldiers in uniform military uh

Garb and they are opposing

um prisoners of war and we can tell that

they are prisoners because they don't

have the orderliness of our soldiers

look how incredibly uniform and

disciplined these images are there's

variety heterogeneity you know kind of

visual chaos happening with our our

captives and several of them are nude

and we know that that again is a sign of

of low status

um but those compose the the top uh

excuse me the bottom and then the middle

registers

um and I guess I don't have a detail of

it but all of this is leading up to the

king in the center of the very top

register

so that's the war side

um and as I say showing the

responsibility of the king to kind of

protect his City in times of conflict

and then on the peace side

um we have uh the king supervising in

agricultural Harvest and essentially you

know the the Golden Age of his community

so at the bottom this really hasn't

survived very well but we have I guess I

didn't even include it but we have

figures bringing bales of wheat leading

domesticated animals that continues on

our second register

um and then the feast is all brought to

priests who are seated here you can tell

their priests by the skirts that they

are wearing we have a musician with

another harp playing for the the feast

and then everybody is facing in the

direction of this figure

who is the king and just like on the

other side you can see how the king here

is physically larger than everybody else

I'll go back in both instances it's kind

of playful but the artist has indicated

the king is so high or or so large

rather that he is breaking that top

register he can't he literally is

exceeding the space that is given to him

and this is an example of a artistic

Technique we refer to as hierarchy of

scale and we see this throughout the

ancient world

um when uh figures are essentially with

hierarchy of scale figures that are the

most important are depicted as the

physically largest and then if you're

less important you are smaller so this

isn't a form of naturalism this isn't

this uh imagery is not trying to say the

king is in front of a kind of child here

or something his size is an indicator of

his status and we will see this over and

over and over again

um and in fact we kind of already did

excuse me but I just forgot to mention

it when we were looking at our votive

figures you can see that these figures

are all different sizes

um and that is not to indicate you know

different ages it's to indicate status

so this guy was the most important so on

and so forth moving down the line

um so hopefully that gives us do I have

a concluding I do

um hopefully that gives us a sense of of

not only the

material qualities of the objects found

in this Royal tomb but also some of

their narratives and what those

narratives tell us about the

organization of Sumerian society

um and and this idea of an agrarian

theocracy