Decoding the 4,500-year-old gold statue discovered in Iraq
What does a 4,500-year-old gold statue found in Iraq, exquisitely crafted, reveal about Mesopotamian civilization? Discover the shocking archaeological mystery from Tell el-Muqayyar!
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•05/06/2025
Experts found a 4,500-year-old gold statue in a mass grave in the Royal Cemetery at Ur (now Tell el-Muqayyar, Iraq) a century ago. Photo: Getty Images. The ancient statue is called Ram in the Thicket. Created around 2550 BC, the statue is extremely elaborate. Photo: world-archaeology.com.
According to experts, the exquisite gold statue above may depict the daily rituals related to fate and the birth of the universe of ancient Mesopotamians. Photo: sukanyaramanujan.wordpress.com. Archaeologist Leonard Woolley discovered two nearly identical figurines, which he dubbed “Ram in the Thicket,” in the Royal Cemetery at Ur in 1928. The Sumerian royal burial around 2550 BC also involved the sacrifice of 68 women and 5 men. Photo: sukanyaramanujan.wordpress.com. At the time of Woolley’s discovery, the statues were broken and crushed. After being restored, the two statues are 42.5 cm and 45.7 cm tall, respectively. While the smaller statue is on display at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia (USA), the larger statue is kept at the British Museum in London (UK). Photo: almanac.upenn.edu.
The Penn Museum says the figurines may represent a markhor, a Central and South Asian mountain goat with coiled serpent-like horns. However, archaeologist Woolley calls the animal a “ram” because it reminds him of the biblical story of Abraham sacrificing a ram in place of his son Isaac. Photo: urima.org. The head and feet of the statue "Ram in the Bush" are made of wood, covered with gold leaf. The bushes and flowers are also covered with exquisite gold leaf. Meanwhile, the animal's ears are made of bronze, and its belly is crafted from silver. Photo: britishmuseum. Lapis lazuli - a deep blue semi-precious stone, used for the sheep's horns and wool. Its hind legs stand on a rectangular base decorated with a mosaic of shells, lapis lazuli and red limestone in a diamond pattern. Photo: britishmuseum.
Researchers speculate that the bush or bush is a symbol of the Mesopotamian cosmic tree. The cosmic tree connects heaven and earth. The flowers on the tree represent heaven, while the leaves represent earth. The diamond pattern on the base of the statue may represent mountains, specifically those on the eastern horizon of Ur, where the sun rises. Photo: britishmuseum. The daily sunrise was very important in ancient Mesopotamia. It was associated with the idea of fate and was associated with the birth of the universe. Rituals dedicated to the sun god Shamash often involved the sacrifice of a sheep or goat and were performed between dusk and dawn. Therefore, the “Ram in the Bush” statue could be considered a “suitable offering” for a Mesopotamian royal tomb. Photo: almanac.upenn.edu.
Readers are invited to watch the video : Revealing lost civilizations through archaeological remains.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•05/06/2025
Comment (0)