Sumerian Bull Head

In the land of Mesopotamia in early 3,000 BCE, agricultural settlements formed into larger governments, called city states and formed a cultural group called the Sumerians, now modern day Ur, Uruk, and close by cities in Iraq. From the irregular weather patterns in this region, the city states of Sumer formed around a pantheon of gods and goddesses that reflected parts of nature and became a central part in all aspects of life and the afterlife. (Neal, 39, 52-53). Fragments from a lyre, a harp-like instrument, displays symbols and images reflective of Sumerian myths, and may indicate these people believed that their Gods and Goddesses viewed and judged the actions of mortals from above, and this would in turn effect whether their souls were

The gold lays flat in some portions, while other parts are bubbled, have bumps, have crakes or other markings from age, however the gold still creases along where the wood has been carved. Areas where there are creases causes the gold to reflect as a bright yellow, however the color is a rich warm yellow consistently throughout the piece. Overall shape of the bull head is naturalistic to proportions of a real bull, rounded head, cylindrical muzzle, curving upward at the end to show separation of the snout. This curve, along with the crease below the nose, make the snout and lower reflect light and accentuate shadow to make it appear as separate portions (Head of Bull Lyre). Each side of the bull’s head is symmetrical with two almond shaped eyes, made of a rich blue lapis lazuli with white specks and bright white shell, two ears on each side of the head made of gold platted wood, and two horns at the top of the head made of platted gold with lapis lazuli tips, all of which are attacked with nails, tacks and a black tar-like substance called bitumen

Placement of each element of the Bull Lyre was intentional, and is symbolic to how the Sumerian people believed their god’s role in how this journey into the afterlife took place. Utu’s placement at the top of the piece, above the king and all others featured in the sound box, symbolizes the Sumerian belief that the gods presided over all aspects of human life including the afterlife. The underworld or afterlife theme of the piece is supported by the location where the lyre was found and also from the two middle panels. The god Utu is also placed above the king, possible Gilgamesh himself, to show even the gods are more powerful than the monarchs themselves. Placement of the scorpion man at the bottom signifies the end of the journey into the underworld, for scorpion people were also seen as gatekeepers to the afterlife (“Lyre”). Admittance into the underworld would be overall determined by Utu, at the top above all, who is god of sun but also the god of