The
Lyres of Ur or
Harps of Ur are considered to be the world's oldest surviving
stringed instruments. In 1929, archaeologists led by
Leonard Woolley discovered the instruments when excavating the
Royal Cemetery of Ur between from 1922 and 1934. They discovered pieces of three
lyres and one
harp in
Ur, located in what was
Ancient Mesopotamia and is contemporary
Iraq. They are over 4,500 years old, from ancient Mesopotamia during the Early Dynastic III Period (2550-2450 BCE). The decorations on the lyres are fine examples of the court
Art of Mesopotamia of the period.