Sumerian Shakespeare
Sumerian Images
(part II)
Sumerian war chariot. Enlarge.
Decorative rein post: used to separate the reins on a chariot, as pictured above. Enlarge.
The Sumerians did not have horses in the modern sense of the word. Instead they used
hybrid donkeys, as seen on the post above. The donkeys were not very large; this is the reason why four of them were needed to pull a war chariot
Royal scepter from the Tombs of Ur; made of gold, shell, and lapis lazuli. Enlarge.
Heaven
Wall mural from the Babylonian city of Mari showing the home of the gods. In the top panel
is an unidentified god; possibly An, the god of heaven, or Utu, the god of the sun. On the
upper right is a winged bullman.
Bottom panel: Enlil, the chief god of earth, is attended by a minor female goddess (shown wearing a horned helmet) and by two kings wearing shepherds' hats. Wind pours out of a jar, signifying that Enlil is the god of the winds that bring life-giving rains. The first of the two kings symbolically waters The Tree of Life (it's a rather scrawny-looking Tree of Life, in my opinion;
see Ur-Namma and Enlil, below). Note the bull on the left and the celestial figure on the right. Enlarge.
Sumerian jewelry:
Gold and lapis lazuli headband. Enlarge.
Headdress and necklaces worn by one of the female attendants buried in the
Royal Tombs of Ur. Enlarge.
Detail of the Necklaces. Enlarge. Also see a high-resolution photograph of the necklaces
Carnelian and lapis beads with a gold pendant. Enlarge.
Sumerian necklace of gold and lapis lazuli. Enlarge.
Gold and lapis lazuli triangular beads.
Modern jewelry constructed of Mesopotamian cylinder seals (2200 - 350 B.C.) given by
the British explorer Henry Layard to his wife. The jewelry is very impressive when enlarged.
Also see a portrait of Lady Enid Layard wearing the jewelry
Assorted jewelry. Gold, carnelian, and lapis lazuli. From the city of Ur (2600 - 2500 B.C.). Enlarge.
Gold, lapis lazuli, and carnelian bracelets. Enlarge.
Part of the gold leaf headband. Enlarge.
Queen Pu-abi's beaded cape, belt, and jewelry. Enlarge.
Child's royal diadem and two pendants. Enlarge.
Detail from the child's royal diadem; made of silver, carnelian, and lapis lazuli. Enlarge, and see the entire piece.
Much more Sumerian jewelry can be found in the section, Jewelry: The Royal Tombs of Ur.
More treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur:
Golden bowl. The orangish color of the bowl is due fact that the gold is alloyed with copper. Gold is not indigenous to Sumer and had to be imported. It was often alloyed with other metals to maximize the supply and to enhance the color. Enlarge.
Bottom of a fluted gold drinking cup. Click here to see the cup.
Carved soapstone jar. Enlarge.
The High Priestess of Ur.
Sumerian woman at the time of Gudea (circa 2130 B.C.). Her hands are folded in the
prayer position. See A Sumerian Princess.
It looks like she has a dimple on her chin, but I believe it is just damage on the statue.
The "Uruk woman," named for the city in which it was found. The joined eyebrows, seen on many Sumerian statues, is a symbol of beauty.
Part of a votive plaque for the goddess Ninsun. The woman pictured is a high priestess.
See a close-up of her face.
Clay model of a Sumerian woman.
Golden headdress worn by Queen Pu-abi. Excavated from the Royal Tombs of Ur. Most of
the best known Sumerian artifacts came from her tomb. More of these artifacts can be seen in the Royal Tombs of Ur. It's not known for certain if she was actually a queen. She is referred to as nin, which means "a Lady, a noblewoman" or eresh meaning "queen". In either case,
Pu-abi was a woman of high status, given the wealth and abundance of her grave goods
and by the number of people who were sacrificed to serve her in the afterlife.
To find out if Pu-abi was a queen or just a noblewoman, see Pu-abi, Queen?"
A woman attendant in a royal tomb.
Sumerian Men:
Gudea, the ruler of Lagash. See the real Face of Gudea.
Ur-Ningirsu, son of Gudea. See The Face of Ur-Ningirsu.
An "unknown" Sumerian ruler. See The Face of Ur-Namma.
Enlil, the chief god of earth. An was the lord of the heavens.
Enlil leads Ur-Namma and a worker to begin construction of a new temple.
Ur-Namma is shown wearing a shepherd's hat, the crown of a Sumerian king.
Ur-Namma (left) in the presence of Enlil, with the Tree of Life
between them. Enlarge.
The ruins of an ancient civilization.
