---
title: Chariot in the War Scene of the Standard of Ur
author: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8424/chariot-in-the-war-scene-of-the-standard-of-ur/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 1970-01-01
---

# Chariot in the War Scene of the Standard of Ur

_Authored by [Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/OsamaSMAmin/)_

## Image File

[![Chariot in the War Scene of the Standard of Ur](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/8424.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/8424.jpg)

## Image Caption

This is a detail of the so-called "[War](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/) Scene" of the Standard of [Ur](https://www.worldhistory.org/ur/). This detail is the left end of the top register. Here, on the left, a [Sumerian](https://www.worldhistory.org/Sumerians/) soldier stands behind a four-wheeled [chariot](https://www.worldhistory.org/chariot/). He wears a flounced skirt and a leather head cap and holds the reins in his left hand while his right hand holds an axe. Similar head caps and axes were found in the Royal Cemetery at Ur. The wheels of the chariot are solid and not spoked; around 1800 BCE, spoked wheels were invented. The chariot is drawn by four equids but the equids are not yet connected to the reins. There are no bits (bits were introduced about 1000 years later). These animals were probably onagers or asses; during the second millennium BCE, horses came to [Mesopotamia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mesopotamia/) from Central Asia. The depictions, in [mosaic](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mosaic/), were made using lapis lazuli, red limestone, and shell set in place with bitumen. The Standard of Ur is a (reconstructed) hollow box and its precise purpose is unknown. [Early Dynastic](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Early_Dynastic/) Period, circa 2500 BCE. From the Royal Cemetry of Ur, Ur, Sothern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. (The British Museum, London).

#### Editorial Review

This human-authored image has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).

## About the Author

Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.
- [Facebook Profile](https://www.facebook.com/MRCPian)
- [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/osama-shukir-muhammed-amin/)

## Cite This Work

### APA
Amin, O. S. M. (2018, April 14). Chariot in the War Scene of the Standard of Ur. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8424/chariot-in-the-war-scene-of-the-standard-of-ur/>
### Chicago
Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Chariot in the War Scene of the Standard of Ur." *World History Encyclopedia*, April 14, 2018. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8424/chariot-in-the-war-scene-of-the-standard-of-ur/>.
### MLA
Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Chariot in the War Scene of the Standard of Ur." *World History Encyclopedia*, 14 Apr 2018, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8424/chariot-in-the-war-scene-of-the-standard-of-ur/>.

## License & Copyright

Submitted by [Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/OsamaSMAmin/ "User Page: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin"), published on 14 April 2018. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Copyright](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright). You cannot use, copy, distribute, or modify this item without explicit permission from the author. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.