Final answer:
The Sumerian statues from excavations of temples were votive offerings characterised by large eyes symbolising spiritual power. The bull was a common symbol in various ancient cultures, representing strength and fertility, and the lamassu served as protective deities in Assyrian cities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Sumerian sculptures, particularly the statues with clasped hands found in the excavations of Sumerian temples, were commonly used as votive offerings. These statues exhibit some unique characteristics such as disproportionately large eyes, meant to imbue them with life-like qualities and spiritual power. The large eyes are especially notable for their association with divinity and awesome otherworldly power. The bull element, noted in these statues and in other artifacts from sites like Çatalhöyük and the Royal Graves at Ur, symbolizes strength and fertility and is a revered symbol throughout the New East and the Mediterranean. For example, bull heads and horns, or bucrania, suggest worship of a mother-deity or a connection to life and rebirth, showcasing the importance of the bull in Neolithic and later Mesopotamian cultures. Additionally, guardian figures like the lamassu, with its man's head and bull's body, served a protective role in Assyrian cities, standing at gates and projecting the power of the Assyrian king.