[Unusual Instruments] The Sumerian Silver Lyre

I must admit the first time I ever heard anything played by such a replica it actually sounded so awful that I more or less thought little of the instrument itself.

This particular musician brought me back to have a second look. And I do believe now everything about this unusual instrument is about the player.

I most certainly wouldn't expect much from a one year old attempting to play a violin. I most certainly shouldn't have expected much from an archeologist playing The Sumerian Silver Lyre for the first time! 😆

Interesting piece of music as well as interesting instrument...

The 5000-year-old Sumerian “Silver Lyre of Ur”, along with several other musical instruments, was unearthed in southern Iraq in the 1920’s by the British archaeologist, Sir Leonard Woolley.

Very little of it was left after five millennia, but careful research revealed that the soundbox was entirely made of silver, not wood overlaid with a sheet of silver.

The soundbox of this reproduction of the Silver Lyre is made of metal, which gives the instrument a timbre that is probably comparable to the original artifact.

For anyone wanting more information, I refer you to the work of the remarkable archaeomusicologist, Richard Dumbrill.

Skip or bear with the twang at least until time index 2:10. It gets interesting. 🙃

[media=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JU4QRxsZhjg]

Eyeinthesky · 56-60, F

It sounds good, quite interesting.
We can’t listen to original sound but I’m imagining it could be magnificent, mystical and dreamy.
They surely knew many things and so advanced, we could be like cavemen to them.