Audio Guide Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus

Back to Audio Guide

Press the "Play" arrow below the image to begin the audio clip.

		Puabi's headdress, ca. 2550–2400 B.C.; Early Dynastic IIIA. Mesopotamia, Ur, PG 800, Puabi's Tomb. A: Comb. Gold, lapis lazuli, and carnelian; H. 36 cm (14 1/8 in.). U.10937. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia  B16693. B: Hair rings. Gold; Diam. 2.7 cm (1 1/8 in.). U.10890. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia  B16992a,b. C: Wreaths. Gold, lapis lazuli, and carnelian. U.10935a, U.10936. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia  B17709–11. D: Hair ribbon. Gold. U.10934. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia  B17711a. E: Earrings. Gold; Diam. 11 cm (4 3/8 in.). U.10933. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia  B17712a,b.

Paul Collins
When the original excavator of Ur opened the inner chamber of one burial pit, he found a woman's skeleton. She wore this elaborate headdress around her skull. Overall, it gives an impression of a blooming tree, conceived in gold and colored stones. Around the forehead are two types of leaves: willow and poplar. On top, protruding from a tall hair-comb, are rosettes with blue and white petals. Dr. Julian Reade:

Julian Reade
The rosette itself is a symbol of the goddess Inanna, the goddess of passion, goddess of love and war, and the irrational.

Paul Collins
Near the woman's body was a small engraved cylinder seal. It identified her. She was Puabi, the queen.

Julian Reade
In the great death pit there were a large number, four or five rows, of women, most of whom wore headdresses not unlike that worn by Puabi. They were mostly quite young girls. They clearly didn't die of natural causes. They may have thought that they were accompanying the queen to her happy life in another world. I don't think we can say at this distance in time.

The audio clips in this section were produced by Antenna Audio. The Audio Guide is available for rental in the exhibition galleries. For more information, see Events & Programs. The Audio Guide program is sponsored by Bloomberg.