#mesopotamic

Mesopotamic Zigurat Sticker

Centuries ago, even before Christ era, music was already invented from a prehistoric group of people with the purpose of expresing theirselves and to communicate with each other by melodies made with instruments like flutes and chords derived. These people shared music as a language and a way to distinguish from one tribe from another.

(Source: http://youtu.be/2H8_13x3JaI) 

This video is an example of a piece they made in their era. Centuries after, this kind of music was involved with religious chorus and similar stuff to transmite the message of God and touched people’s hearts with God’s will. 

I recently read an article about different cultures in the Mesopotamic Era, more especifically talking about the Sumerian one. At first, I was surprised to know the Sumerian culture was almost always the first ones to discover a lot of things that nowadays are pretty important to our society. 

The most important discover I am interested to talk about is how music got involved into a whole civilization development and how could it be possible that this "little detail" can make a kind of revolution on that time.

Music Instruments discovered in burial sites and art include the Lyre, clappers and later even drums and wind instruments. Specifically, reed pipes, vertical flutes, lyres, harps, kitharas, drums, clappers, sistrum made for a wide array of instruments. Another interesting discovery appears to be notation. A numeric system found on many hymnal texts seems to be a form of notation.

Sumerians seems to place music roots in temples 'cause songs were usually devotionals to their goddess Innanna, also musicians must purify their hands before playing stringed instruments such as the Lyre.

This kind of religious role into Sumerian society was also applicated in their daily lifes and adopted by posterior civilizations, that is how we can know nowadays has also this kind of little detail in our daily life and not often notice it. 

Actually, music has an important role in our lifes. As I said before, music can be seen in churches as in chorus, in our national hymn representing every existing country. Music is in everywhere in different types and sizes, it is only neccessary to hear around yourselves how music was looked as a revolutionary icon by someone in a certain era just like we see it now as a way to see ourselves. 

My Sumerian Queen

Puabi was queen from the 1st dynasty of Ur. In her tomb was found a lot os amazing jewelery, and this extraordinary headdress. * . *

In early mesopotamia, women, even elite women, were generally described in relation to their husbands. For example, the inscription on the cylinder seal of the wife of the ruler of the city-state of Lagash (to the east of Ur) reads “Bara-namtara, wife of Lugal-anda, ruler of the city-state of Lagash.”

The fact that Puabi is identified without the mention of her husband may indicate that she was queen in her own right. If so, she probably reigned prior to the time of the First Dynasty of Ur, whose first ruler is known from the Sumerian King List as Mesannepada. Inscribed artifacts from the Seal Impression Strata (SIS) layers above the royal tombs at Ur name Mesannepada, King of Kish, an honorific used by rulers claiming control over all of southern Mesopotamia.

She is also known as Shub-Ad

c. 2600 bC

Asirian god, left, and Olmec person, right - Look, They are holding similar hand bags!

Dios Asirio, a la izquierda, y personaje Olmeca a la derecha - Observa las bolsas que tienen en la mano!