根据记载，在公元前大约4000年前，西方人首次使用金属首饰，而在西方最早制作黄金首饰的是苏美尔人。苏美尔人是波斯高原的游牧民族，他们迁徙到美索不达米亚地区，造就了古代苏美尔文明。苏美尔人将黄金敲打成极薄的金箔，用金箔制成的树叶花瓣，如同流苏一样可以悬挂。其中，最具代表性的是公元前2600年的舒巴德皇后所陪葬的头饰，它采用天青石、光玉髓、玻璃和黄金制成，与头饰一起的还有金耳环和以黄金、天青石和光玉髓串成的项链（图3-2、图3-3）。苏美尔首饰在当时，是为逝去的人做的，因他们相信死后会去另外一个世界，所以在许多古代帝王贵胄的陵墓里都发现有大量的殉葬品。

Upon the recordings,the metal jewelries were applied by westerners around 4000 B.C.The Sumerians were the first to manufacture the gold jewelries.Sumerians were the nomads of Persian highland.They migrated to Mesopotamia area,created the Sumerian culture.They hammered gold into very thin fold,made them into the shapes of leaves and pedals,hanging like tassels.The most distinguished one is the head jewelries buried with Queen Shubad 2600 B.C.It was made by celestite,camelian,glass and gold.Gold earrings and necklace of celestite and camelian were found along with it(Figure 3-2、Figure 3-3).At that time,the Sumerian jewelries were made for the persons passing away,as they believed another world for the deads.Thus,large amount of goods were found in many tombs of ancient kings and nobles.

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图3-2　苏美尔普阿比女王（“Pu-abi nin”）头饰 公元前2550～公元前2400年乌尔（伊拉克南部）美国费城宾夕法尼亚大学考古与人类学博物馆
Figure3-2　 The head accessory for Queen Shubad Sumer，about 2550 B.C.～2400 B.C.South 'raq.University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

图3-3　苏美尔普阿比女王花圈头饰 早王朝三期乌尔美国费城宾夕法尼亚大学考古与人类学博物馆
Figure 3-3　The floral head accessory for Queen Shubad Sumer，University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology