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Cultural Influences Continued…<br />
• They also found dozens of bodies of musicians,<br />
soldiers, and servants that have been sacrificed to<br />
accompany the kings, queens, or aristocrats. In this<br />
sense, the royal cemetery at <strong>Ur</strong> provides a glimpse<br />
into the ancient <strong>Sumerian</strong> culture, in which people<br />
believed that there is an afterlife that carried a great<br />
deal of significance among the <strong>Sumerian</strong>s. This<br />
cultural belief led the ancient <strong>Sumerian</strong>s to produce<br />
luxurious musical instruments that would entertain<br />
the deceased and golden daggers and helmets to<br />
protect the dead. Many other artifacts from the<br />
royal cemetery at <strong>Ur</strong> were created for this purpose.<br />
• A theme frequently reflected in artifacts found in<br />
the cemetery is that of a funerary banquet. The<br />
scenes from the sound box of the Great Lyre from<br />
the “King’s Grave” depicts composite animals<br />
feasting, and other artifacts such as golden beakers<br />
and bowls shows a banquet. The use of animals<br />
and their features is frequently seen in the artifacts<br />
discovered in the royal cemetery at <strong>Ur</strong>.<br />
•The Great Lyre, Ram in the<br />
Thicket, and Silver Head of a<br />
Lion all depict an animal or it<br />
features. This indicates their<br />
“belief in power over the<br />
physical world by combination<br />
of various species' physical<br />
attributes” (Parchin, 1).
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