Which musical instruments were used in ancient Sumerian religious and social life?

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In ancient Sumerian society, the lyre was a prominent musical instrument used in religious and social life. These instruments, which are well-documented in 3rd-millennium BCE reliefs, were box-shaped stringed instruments that featured a yoke and were often ornamented with a carved bull on one side.1

Sumerian lyres varied in size, with some "giant" versions exceeding 40 inches (100 cm) in height. These larger instruments were typically placed on the ground and played by seated musicians in an upright position using the fingers of both hands. Unlike other Middle Eastern and Greek lyres of the time that were tuned using thong or cloth bulges, Sumerian lyres were uniquely tuned by inserting wooden wedges into the winding bulges. While the bow harp is also associated with the region, the lyre remains the most distinctively identified instrument from Sumerian iconography.12