I visited the Metropolitan museum last Wednesday and I must say the trip was worth taking. The museum consisted of several historical fragments ranging fragments ranging from ancient Greek to oriental art of china. It was indeed intriguing to see how well these pieces from all over the world were bought and organized under one roof. There were many people in the museum and above all many interesting things about the past so at one point I was really confused.
That topic that I am dealing is about the Mesopotamian era and specifically concerned about the deities and the first form of writing “Cuneiform”. The museum carried information and pictorial fragments of deities like Anu (the Supreme God), Innana (The Sumerian goddess of fertility), and Shamash (the city god) which is also a part of the Epic of Gilgamesh. The placement of God’s name in the Tablet (Cuneiform) gave me the idea of importance of God in the lives of the people of that era. While going through the tablets I also had the impression that perhaps the religious and conservative nature of people was actually existent even at the earliest of times.
The epic of Gilgamesh is a mythology. However, after looking at this piece with the name of Gilgamesh and other Deity gave me the impression of certainty that somewhere down the lane there used to be such king who took the journey in search for eternity.
Looking from the Gilgamesh’s side the story looks sad where a hero loses to achieve. However, going through the tablets in the museum I felt that Gilgamesh might have lost but in true sense he did not lose but got the opportunity to learn about the short lived nature of life and that all must enjoy life to the fullest instead of grieving.
The Cuneiform writing introduced by the Sumerians was fascinating but I must admit the cylinder seals were captivating too. According to the information from the museum Cylinder Seals were the first form of written language ever. It was used to communicate and identify land ownership and water rights. The seals were rolled in the clay tablet. The picture underneath gives a clear view of the clay tablets used during that period.
The Mesopotamians the earliest of all civilization gave us a new perspective in life. In the process of discovering the museum I realized that we indeed owed a lot to the ancient people who made it possible for the civilization to grow. The contribution from the Mesopotamian specifically the recording of clay tablets is intriguing in the sense that how people at that era with simple needs in life made such complex inventions. The epic of Gilgamesh which is one of the delights of the Mesopotamian era is also fascinating as it can be related to anyone. For instance, people are turning more arrogant like Gilgamesh in his prime time. Moreover, the use of sex symbol reflects upon the society we live in. The advancement or proposal of sex symbolizes corruption and it undeniable that it is evident till date.
Like the saying that goes “Morning shows the day”, the Mesopotamian era and the eras thereafter have given the opportunity to wake up with a fresh start. I would like to finally touch down on the same point that if it had not been the efforts of the earlier people perhaps we would not have been able to be in the position that we enjoy today.
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