The spade has been used throughout history to represent agriculture, forceful progress, and combative prowess. This can be traced all the way back to Sumeria, where the spade or marru was traditionally noted as the accoutrement of the chief god Marduk, possibly in the form of a triangular-headed spear. It has been used in the standard deck of playing cards, where the court of each suit represents influential figures from throughout history, and the court of spades represents those whose influence was made through war, justice, and otherwise rash actions, specifically, the soldiering class. Today, due to the lack of use of melee weaponry in both practice and symbolism, the spade mostly represents agriculture and gardening.