At the top there is a royal banquet. A very useful and detailed 10-minute video from the Khan Academy website looking at the Standard of Ur in detail. "The Standard of Ur", decorated on four sides with inlaid mosaic scenes made from shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli, set in bitumen. Standard of Ur - British Museum - DavidC Photography The Standard of Ur From Ur, southern Iraq, about 2600-2400 BC Height: 21.59 cm Length: 49.53 cm Standard of Ur 2600BC mosaic "war panel" - Journey to Ancient Civilizations A mysterious object with one of the earliest representations of a Sumerian army This object was found… 2) Click on any image. Woolley though it might have been mounted on a pole and carried – hence its name. Standard of Ur from the Royal Temple of Ur (modern Tell el-Muqayya, Iraq) Sumerian. A History of the World in 100 Objects on the BBC website. Its original function is not yet understood. Palmyra: the modern destruction of an ancient city, https://smarthistory.org/standard-of-ur-2/, More resources under Transform your Course. The purpose of the object remains unknown. The Standard of Ur is a box, the two large sides of which show aspects of life in early Mesopotamia. So even though the purpose of the Standard of Ur remains uncertain, the message it conveys is very clear: that a society’s prosperity is generated through social organisation of its people, and the protection and management of its resources. Leonard Woolley, the excavator at Ur, imagined that it was carried on a pole as a standard, hence its common name. Help Smarthistory continue to make a difference, Help make art history relevant and engaging. See how the king was represented. The banqueters are served by attendants and entertained by a singer and musician playing a lyre. Learn all about the Standard of Ur, made 3,000 years ago. On the other side, the Standard portrays warfare as a means of protecting the wealth of the city-state from outsiders. It was unearthed in a tomb in 1927 by Leonard Woolley during his archaeological excavations of the ‘Royal Cemetery’ of Ur located in present-day Iraq. http://www.ashmolean.org/ash/amps/iraq-navel/index.html. One side shows scenes of peace and the other scenes of war. The peace side of the Standard shows how the city, and in particular the ruler, draws upon the agricultural and natural resources of its territory. On the other side of the Standard, the bottom two levels show workers of all sorts carrying bags on their shoulders, probably containing fresh produce, and backpacks supported by headbands. See how the king was represented. It was buried in a royal grave and depicts two contrasting scenes of a king of Ur - … The Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi. The purpose of the object remains unknown. This object was found in one of the largest graves in the Royal Cemetery at Ur. Image from The British Museum. It was excavated in the so-called Royal Cemetery at Ur, a Sumerian city-state (scholars are still debating whether the cemetery was for kings and queens or simply aristocrats and priests). 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. https://www.britishmuseum.org/PDF/Visit_Mesopotamia_KS2b.pdf, Mesopotamian objects Online Mesopotamian collections from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Woolley therefore thought it was a standard, the kind that was carried in front of the troops in battle or during ceremonial processions of the king. The organised nature of the army, their equipment and their conquest of enemies can be seen as symbols of the ruler’s power and status. The war side shows a Sumerian army and scenes of warfare. The Standard of Ur is one of the most famous objects to be discovered from ancient Mesopotamia. Another theory suggests that it formed the soundbox of a musical instrument. 2600-2400 Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone Context first evidence of how agriculture and trade brought considerable wealth to the area http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/cVczEWH0RVm_dFZtJBAjRw, BBC History A useful article from BBC History. This object was found in one of the largest graves in the Royal Cemetery at Ur. Leonard Woolley, the excavator at Ur, imagined that it was carried on a pole as a standard, hence its common name. ​The Standard of Ur is a box, the two large sides of which show aspects of life in early Mesopotamia. Learn all about the Standard of Ur, made 3,000 years ago. Its original function is not yet understood. Peace (detail), The Standard of Ur, 2600-2400 B.C.E., shell, red limestone, lapis lazuli, and bitumen (original wood no longer exists), 21.59 x 49.53 x 12 cm (British Museum; photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) Leonard Woolley, the excavator at Ur, imagined that it was carried on a pole as a standard, hence its common name. The decoration on each side is divided into three levels (registers) which can be read from bottom to top. It is made of wood and is inlaid with lapis lazuli, shell, and red limestone. The Standard of Ur is actually not a military standard.… Learn how the servants got buried (alive) with their masters. Ur was founded around 4000 BCE in Sumer. Further up the levels there are infantry soldiers with cloaks carrying spears, enemy soldiers being killed with axes, prisoners being paraded naked and presented to ruler who appears at the top carrying a spear and larger than all the other figures. The box has been restored due to deterioration over the years of the glue used to set the mosaic, and so may not be 100% accurate. The Standard of Ur was discovered by Leonard Woolley in PG (“Private Grave”) 779 in the Royal Tombs of Ur. As the first cities developed, increased population led to the establishment of complex systems of administration and record-keeping and increased wealth gave rise to social hierarchies, specialist roles within society and the need for more organised forms of protection. It was also on this success that the ruling group could build a courtly lifestyle involving feasting and entertainment. An interconnected world is not as recent as we think. Rethinking a modern attribution. Standard of Ur, c. 2600-2400 B.C.E., 21.59 x 49.5 x 12 cm (British Museum) Speakers: Dr. Steven Zucker & Dr. Beth Harris. It was found above the shoulder of a man, as though it had been carried aloft on a pole. Tiny timeline: ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in a global context, 2nd–1st millennia B.C.E. The Royal Standard of Ur, also called the Battle Standard of Ur measures 8.5 by 19.5 inches. The Royal Standard of Ur, also called the Battle Standard of Ur measures 8.5 by 19.5 inches. Ur was one of the first village settlements founded around 4000 BC in an area of Mesopotamia known as Sumer, and by 2800 BC it had become one of the most prosperous city-states in the region. Online Mesopotamian collections from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. By the time this standard was made, Ur had become one of the most prosperous city-states in the region. At Smarthistory, the Center for Public Art History, we believe art has the power to transform lives and to build understanding across cultures. You may want to refer to those pages if you have any questions. If an enlargement is available, it will display in a separate window. AncientPages.com - The ‘Standard of Ur’ is a Sumerian artifact excavated from what had been the Royal Cemetery in the ancient city of Ur (located in modern-day Iraq south of Baghdad). The Royal Standard of Ur. It was unearthed in a tomb in 1927 by Leonard Woolley during his archaeological excavations of the ‘Royal Cemetery’ of Ur located in present-day Iraq. Standard of Ur, 2500 BC, mixed media, British Museum, London. 2600-2400 Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone Context first evidence of how agriculture and trade brought considerable wealth to the area Trebonianus Gallus — emperor or athlete? The Standard of Ur (also known as the "Battle Standard of Ur," or the "Royal Standard of Ur") is a Sumerian artifact excavated from what had been the Royal Cemetery in the ancient city of Ur (located in modern-day Iraq south of Baghdad). https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/history/ancient-medieval/Ancient/v/standard-of-ur--c--2600-2400-b-c-e, Introduction to Mesopotamia General notes about ancient Mesopotamia from the British Museum website. Image from The British Museum ‘Peace’ side. The Standard of Ur is one of the most famous objects to be discovered from ancient Mesopotamia. Some of the most important preserved monuments, including the ziggurat, belong to the 3rd dynasty (22nd-21st century BCE). Hammurabi: The king who made the four quarters of the earth obedient. The site of Ur was in the area known as Sumer in southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). Wooden box inlaid with mosaic, found in southern Iraq At the centre of pretty well all great cities, in the middle of the abundance and the wealth, the power, and the busy-ness, you'll find a monument to Death on a massive scale. By the time this standard was made, Ur had become one of the most prosperous city-states in the region. This enigmatic artifact is a small trapezoidal box (8.5 inches high by 19.5 inches) long and was probably the decorated soundbox of a musical […] The “Standard of Ur” was found in one of the largest royal tombs in the Ur cemetery (PG 779), associated with Ur-Pabilsag. Agricultural surplus could be used to trade exotic foreign goods, such as the materials used to decorate the Standard, which came hundreds or thousands of miles from the Persian Gulf (the white shells), Afghanistan (the blue lapis lazuli) and India (the red stones). Agricultural success was necessary to the growth of a city-state and to the benefits it brought to the people. Leonard Woolley, the excavator at Ur, imagined that it was carried on a pole as a standard, hence its common name. General notes about ancient Mesopotamia from the British Museum website. The box has been restored due to deterioration over the years of the glue used to set the mosaic, and so may not be 100% accurate. Sumerian Art: The Standard Of Ur From one of the first Mesopotamian City States of Ur, The Standard of Ur provides us with a glimpse into how Mesopotamian Art and Politics were entwined. It has been reconstructed as a hollow wooden box with panels inlaid with a mosaic of shell, red limestone, and lapis lazuli covering each long side. Standard of Ur, 2500 BC, mixed media, British Museum, London. It comprises a hollow wooden box measuring 21.59 centimetres (8.50 in) wide by 49.53 centimetres (19.50 in) long, inlaid with a mosaic of shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli. We created Smarthistory to provide students around the world with the highest-quality educational resources for art and cultural heritage—for free. The ruler, wearing a woollen fleece skirt, is seated before his guests who are also dressed similarly, though less extravagantly. 1) The Standard of Ur Narratives are the condensed versions of my previous pages, the Standard of Ur: War and the Standard of Ur: King. Tiny timeline: ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in a global context, 5th–3rd millennia B.C.E. This is the currently selected item. One further reason why the Standard is valuable to our understanding of ancient cities is that it shows a range of people – prisoners, warriors, agricultural workers, musicians – overseen by the ruler positioned at the top and shown larger than everyone else. The standard comes from an era and site in history that has become near-legendary. From Ur, southern Iraq, about 2600-2400 BC 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. Ur, important city of ancient southern Mesopotamia (Sumer) near the Euphrates River. Standard of Ur from the Royal Temple of Ur (modern Tell el-Muqayya, Iraq) Sumerian. Ur was founded around 4000 BCE in Sumer. This object was discovered by the archaeologist C. Leonard Woolley during excavations at ancient Ur (modern Tell al- Muqayyar ), in southern Mesopotamia (south Iraq). Another theory suggests that it formed the soundbox of a musical instrument. Standard of Ur and other objects from the Royal Graves. Woolley therefore thought it was a standard, the kind that was carried in front of the troops in battle or during ceremonial processions of the king. Standard of Ur (made around 4,500 years ago). Others think it may be the sounding box of a lyre. Standard of Ur The Standard of Ur, 2600-2400 B.C.E., shell, limestone, lapis lazuli, and bitumen, 21.59 x 49.53 x 12 cm (British Museum, London) Athanadoros, Hagesandros, and Polydoros of Rhodes, Petra: The rose red city of the Nabataeans, Temple of Minerva and the sculpture of Apollo (Veii), City of Rome overview—origins to the archaic period, Roman funeral rituals and social status: The Amiternum tomb and the tomb of the Haterii, An introduction to ancient Roman architecture, The archaeological context of the Roman Forum (Forum Romanum), Seizure of Looted Antiquities Illuminates What Museums Want Hidden, Looting, collecting, and exhibiting: the Bubon bronzes, The rediscovery of Pompeii and the other cities of Vesuvius, Room M of the Villa of Publius Fannius Synistor, Boscoreale, Tomb of the Scipios and the sarcophagus of Scipio Barbatus, Bronze head from a statue of the Emperor Hadrian, Rome’s layered history — the Castel Sant’Angelo, The Severan Tondo: Damnatio memoriae in ancient Rome. KS2: Britain: the Stone Age to the Iron Age, KS3: Britain, Europe and the world: curriculum 1901, KS3: Significant societies in world history, https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/t/the_standard_of_ur.aspx, http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/cVczEWH0RVm_dFZtJBAjRw, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/cultures/mesopotamia_gallery_04.shtml, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/history/ancient-medieval/Ancient/v/standard-of-ur--c--2600-2400-b-c-e, https://www.britishmuseum.org/PDF/Visit_Mesopotamia_KS2b.pdf, http://www.ashmolean.org/ash/amps/iraq-navel/index.html. Others think it may be the sounding box of a lyre. The “Standard of Ur” was found in one of the largest royal tombs in the Ur cemetery (PG 779), associated with Ur-Pabilsag. Woolley though it might have been mounted on a pole and carried – hence its name. The Standard of Ur is a Sumerian artifact of the 3rd millennium BC that is now in the collection of the British Museum. It became the capital of Sumerian kings of the 1st dynasty of Ur (25th century BCE). https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/t/the_standard_of_ur.aspx, A History of the World in 100 Objects A History of the World in 100 Objects on the BBC website. The Standard of Ur, ‘War’ side. There are men leading donkeys as well as bulls, sheep and goats; others are carrying fish. Learn how the servants got buried (alive) with their masters. The Standard of Ur was discovered by Leonard Woolley in PG (“Private Grave”) 779 in the Royal Tombs of Ur. Information on the Standard of Ur from the British Museum website. One side shows a war scene; a Sumerian army with wheeled waggons and infantry charges the enemy; prisoners are brought before a larger individual, who is accompanied by guards and has his own waggon waiting behind him. It was buried in a royal grave and depicts two contrasting scenes of a king of Ur - … http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/cultures/mesopotamia_gallery_04.shtml, The Standard of Ur in detail A very useful and detailed 10-minute video from the Khan Academy website looking at the Standard of Ur in detail. It was found above the shoulder of a man, as though it had been carried aloft on a pole. The chariots move faster as they move from left to right. Its original function is not yet understood. History. Persian art, an introduction. It comes from the ancient city of Ur (located in modern-day Iraq west of Nasiriyah). When found, the original wooden frame for the mosaic of shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli had decayed, and the two main pan… The Standard of Ur is one of my favorite works of art from the Sumerians. It is made of wood and is inlaid with lapis lazuli, shell, and red limestone. What the Standard of Ur was used for remains a mystery but it seems to have royal connections. From Ur, southern Iraq, about 2600-2400 BC 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. The Standard of Ur has stone, glass, and lapis lazuli like a m… Higher social classes were allowed on higher levels of the zig… The so-called "death pits" in the Royal Cemetery were where hu… . Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II. The Standard of Ur has stone, glass, and lapis lazuli like a m… Higher social classes were allowed on higher levels of the zig… The so-called "death pits" in the Royal Cemetery were where hu… The Standard of Ur is a wonderful example of Mesopotamian artistic achievement that reveals a wealth of information about one of the world’s great ancient civilisations. On the bottom level are chariots pulled by donkeys which are trampling enemies. Leonard Woolley, the excavator at Ur, imagined that it was carried on a pole as a standard, hence its common name. Introduction to the Standard Information on the Standard of Ur from the British Museum website. Young British Artists and art as commodity, Pictures Generation and postmodern photography, Featured | Art that brings U.S. history to life, At-Risk Cultural Heritage Education Series. It has been reconstructed as a hollow wooden box with panels inlaid with a mosaic of shell, red limestone, and lapis lazuli covering each long side. 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What the Standard of Ur was used for remains a mystery but it seems to have royal connections. One hundred objects from museums across the UK with resources, information and teaching ideas to inspire your students’ interest in history. The Standard of Ur is a wonderful example of Mesopotamian artistic achievement that reveals a wealth of information about one of the world’s great ancient civilisations. The Standard of Ur (also known as the "Battle Standard of Ur," or the "Royal Standard of Ur") is a Sumerian artifact excavated from what had been the Royal Cemetery in the ancient city of Ur (located in modern-day Iraq south of Baghdad). We believe that the brilliant histories of art belong to everyone, no matter their background. Sounding box of a musical instrument shoulder of a lyre 2600-2400-b-c-e, to. Been mounted on a pole as a means of protecting the wealth of earth. Scenes of Peace and the other scenes of war Mesopotamia ( modern Tell el-Muqayya Iraq... 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