For nearly a century, the silver lyre of Ur was treated as proof of a peaceful mass suicide. Forensic re-examination revealed skull fractures that tell an entirely different story.
I'd heard about the attendants at Ur in passing, but I had no idea that the evidence now points to them being killed and then deliberately arranged afterward.
There's something incredibly eerie about realizing that 4,500 years later, it worked. Woolley saw exactly what they wanted someone to see.
That's one of the joys of archaeology - sometimes it completely changes a story we thought we knew.
This was absolutely fascinating to read, especially because I’ve always been drawn to ancient history, death, ritual, and music. The idea that such a hauntingly beautiful scene may have been deliberately staged after death is both terrifying and mesmerizing. I love how archaeology can peel away an ancient story and reveal something far stranger underneath.
excellent
Fascinating!
Oh this is fascinating!
I'd heard about the attendants at Ur in passing, but I had no idea that the evidence now points to them being killed and then deliberately arranged afterward.
There's something incredibly eerie about realizing that 4,500 years later, it worked. Woolley saw exactly what they wanted someone to see.
That's one of the joys of archaeology - sometimes it completely changes a story we thought we knew.
Tony
Such a gruesome end to what was probably an already brief career.
This was absolutely fascinating to read, especially because I’ve always been drawn to ancient history, death, ritual, and music. The idea that such a hauntingly beautiful scene may have been deliberately staged after death is both terrifying and mesmerizing. I love how archaeology can peel away an ancient story and reveal something far stranger underneath.