THE MUSIC IN THE

ANCIENT NEAR EAST

Daniel Sánchez Muñoz

UIMP English Linguistic Inmersion Course

Granada, 21 August 2015

INDEX OF CONTENTS

• Introduction

• Musical Instruments

• Music in the life

• Aesthetics and Theory

• Conclusions

INTRODUCTION

OBJECTIVES

• Summarize the ANE music (3000 – 323 B. C.)

DIFFICULTIES

• Very unknown

cultures

• Big temporal and

geographical space

• Sources: NO

organized

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

Lyres:

A Bull-lyre from Royal

Cemetery of Ur

Lutes:

Overall Old Babylonian

Period (2004-1595 B. C.)

Harps:

An example from

Neo-Assyrian Period

(911-612 B. C.)

WIND INSTRUMENTS

• Definition of their nature very complicated

PERCUSSIONS

Cymbals

Female cymbalist

from Ugarit (Ras el-

Šamra, Syria)

Many kinds of

drums (vertical,

frame drum, etc.)

VOICE AND SINGERS

• The most important musical instrument

Have we changed actually in many years??

MUSIC IN SOCIAL LIFE

RELIGIOUS WORSHIPS

• Comunicating with great musicians… the gods!!

Musicians of arched harp balaĝ

THE POLITIC MATTERS

The Neo-Assyrian King

AssurbanipalA vertical harp musician

• The exaltation of political authorities

BANQUETS AND ANOTHER

• The rest of Ancient Near Eastern people’s life

AESTHETICS AND THEORY

THE IDEA OF MUSIC

• Nam.nar/ Narûtu =

“The Art of Singing”

• Mumûn / Hubûru =

“Sound” = Music +

Noise

• The particular

musical sounds

Animals as musicians

MUSICAL THEORY

• Clay tablets with musical theory

UET VII 74YBC (Yale Babylonian

Collection) 11381

MUSICAL SCORES

• A unique score… but all the poetry was music

Hymn with musical notation to Goddess Nikkal

from Ugarit (Ras el-Šamra, Syria), 1400 B.C.

CONCLUSIONS

TO SUM UP AND THINK

• Music in mostancient civilisedcultures

– Very complex

– Very important

• Music in ANE = base of future

THANKS