Ancient Mesopotamian Worship Music
Location and Chronology
Map
of Mesopotamia and Sumer
Detail
Map of Mesopotamia
Mesopotamian
Chronological Table: from University of Chicago Oriental Institute
Written Sources
Cuneiform
tablets: Hymn to Nikkal, moon goddess of Ugarit [obverse/reverse] [c. 1500
BCE] [Click on "Sacred Music in Antiquity" and scroll down to the
reproduction of these tablets]
Sketch
of Cuneiform tablets [obverse] with some musical decoding
Images
Musical Objects: Idiophones
Musical Objects: Membranophones
Musical Objects: Chordophones
Plan
of PG 789: Burial place of a king at the Royal Cemetery at Ur
Great
Lyre from PG 789: [c. 2600 BCE] Thumbnail
Great
Lyre from PG 789: [c. 2600 BCE] Full view
Great
Lyre from PG 789: [c. 2600 BCE] Bull's head with shell scenes on the
sound box
Great
Lyre from PG 789: [c. 2600 BCE] Shell scenes on the sound box
Plan
of PG 800: Tomb of Queen Pu-abi at the Royal Cemetery at Ur
Queen
Shub-Ad's harp from the Royal Cemetery at Ur
Musical Objects: Aerophones
Musical Representations: Idiophones
Musical Representations: Membranophones
Musical Representations: Chordophones
Baked Clay
Plaque: Seated harpist: c. 2000 - 1600 BCE, Ishchali ?, Iraq [information
on this image]
Harpists:
Wall painting of a priest playing a royal harp with a representation of
the crown of one Egypt; 3 sketches of other Egyptian harpists; one sketch
of an Assyrian harpist
Musical Representations: Aerophones
Musical Representations: Singing
Musical Representations: Dancing
Musical Representations: Mixed
Bas-relief:
The court orchestra of Elam [presently held in the British Museum]
Gypsum
Banquet Plaque with musicians and dancers in the lowest register: c.
2700 - 2600 BCE, Khafajah, Sin Temple IX, Iraq [information
on this image]
Audiofiles
Richard Dumbrill: Hypothetical transcription of Hurrian
Hymn H6
Studies
Information
on the Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur exhibit [including material
on the Great Lyre, Lesser Lyre, and Harp]
Richard Dumbrill: Extracts from The Music of the Ancient Near East [Word
7.0 Zip files]:
Introduction: Sample
Book 1: Theory: Sample
Book 2: The Hurrian Hymns: Sample
Book 3: Organology: Sample
Book 4: Musical Lexicon: Sample
Robert Fink: "Evidence
of Harmony in Ancient Music" [update January 2001 CE]
Sumerian Music: General
Overview
Sumerian Music: General
Overview [note especially the texts of Sumerian sacred music rituals]
Sumerian Culture: General
Overview [note especially the section on Sumerian music]
Bibliography
Scott B. Noegel: Bibliography
on Music in the Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean Worlds
