Discuss the story represented in the Royal Standard of Ur.

What will be an ideal response?

The main panels of this rectangular box of unknown function are called “War” and “Peace,” because they illustrate, on one side, a military victory and, on the other, the banquet celebrating the event. Each panel is composed of three registers, or self-contained horizontal bands within which the figures stand on a ground-line, or baseline. The pictures are made from stones inlaid in a black, bitumen, background. The “War” side depicts chariots and equipment that represent the state of technology at the time. Soldiers are shown in profile. The ruler, the most important figure, is represented as larger than the others, utilizing the convention of hierarchy of scale. The “Peace” side shows musicians, animals, and drink which may have been intended to dramatize the power of the king by showing his ability to control trade routes. This work is important as one of the earliest examples of historical narrative.