This object was found in one of the largest graves in the Royal Cemetery
at Ur, lying in the corner of a chamber above the right shoulder of a
man. Its original function is not yet understood.The main panels are known as "War" and "Peace." "War" shows one of
the earliest representations of a Sumerian army. Chariots, each pulled
by four donkeys, trample enemies; infantry with cloaks carry spears;
enemy soldiers are killed with axes, others are paraded naked and
presented to the king who holds a spear.
The "Peace" panel depicts animals, fish and other goods brought in
procession to a banquet. Seated figures, wearing woolen fleeces or
fringed skirts, drink to the accompaniment of a musician playing a lyre.
Banquet scenes such as this are common on cylinder seals of the period,
such as on the seal of the "Queen" Pu-abi, also in the British Museum
(see image above).shell, red limestone, lapus lazuli, bitumen. "War" is one of the earliest representations of a Sumerian army, engaged
in what is believed to be a border skirmish and its aftermath. The
"War" panel shows the king in the middle of the top register, standing
taller than any other figure, with his head projecting out of the frame
to emphasize his supreme status – a device also used on the other panel.
He stands in front of his bodyguard and a four-wheeled chariot, drawn
by a team, He faces a row of prisoners, all of whom are portrayed as naked, bound
and injured with large, bleeding gashes on their chests and thighs – a
device indicating defeat and debasement.[3]
In the middle register, eight virtually identically depicted soldiers
give way to a battle scene, followed by a depiction of enemies being
captured and led away. The soldiers are shown wearing leather cloaks and
helmets; actual examples of the sort of helmet depicted in the mosaic
were found in the same tomb.[5]
The nudity of the captive and dead enemies was probably not meant to
depict literally how they appeared in real life, but was more likely to
have been symbolic and associated with a Mesopotamian belief that linked
death with nakednessThe lower register shows four chariots, each carrying a charioteer and a
warrior (carrying either a spear or an axe) and drawn by a team of four
equids. The chariots are depicted in considerable detail; each has
solid wheels (spoked wheels were not invented until about 1800 BC) and
carries spare spears in a container at the front. The arrangement of the
equids' reins is also shown in detail, illustrating how the Sumerians
harnessed them without using bits, which were only introduced a millennium later.[5]
The chariot scene evolves from left to right in a way that emphasizes
motion and action through changes in the depiction of the animals' gait.
The first chariot team is shown walking, the second cantering, the
third galloping and the fourth rearing. Trampled enemies are shown lying
under the hooves of the latter three groups, symbolizing the potency of
a chariot attack."Peace" portrays a banquet scene. The king again appears in the upper
register, sitting on a carved stool on the left-hand side. He is faced
by six other seated participants, each holding a cup raised in his right
hand. They are attended by various other figures including a
long-haired individual, possibly a singer, who accompanies a lyrist.
In the middle register, bald-headed figures wearing skirts with fringes
parade animals, fish and other goods, perhaps bringing them to the
feast. The bottom register shows a series of figures dressed and coiffed
in a different way from those above, carrying produce in shoulder bags
or backpacks, or leading equids by ropes attached to nose rings
Standard of Ur