ROYAL
CEMETERY AT UR
![](ur.jpg)
Ur
shown within Near East
![](640px-Royal_Cemetery_of_Ur_excavations_(B&W).jpg)
General
view of the Royal Cemetery at Ur, during excavations
Location
:
Tell
el-Muqayyar, Dhi Qar Province, Iraq
Region
: Mesopotamia
Coordinates
: 30°57'41
N 46°06'22 E
Type
: Settlement
History
:
Founded
:
c. 3800 BC
Abandoned
: after
500 BC
Periods
: Ubaid
period to Iron Age
Cultures
: Sumerian
Site
notes :
Excavation
dates :
1853-1854,
1922-1934
Archaeologists
: John
Taylor, Leonard Woolley
The
Royal Cemetery at Ur is an archaeological site in modern-day Dhi
Qar Governorate in southern Iraq. The initial excavations at Ur
took place between 1922 and 1934 under the direction of Leonard
Woolley in association with the British Museum and the University
of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
Many
finds are now in museums, especially the Iraq Museum, Bagdad and
the British Museum.
Discovery
:
![](514px-Meskalamdug_helmet_British_Museum_electrotype_copy_original_is_in_the_Iraq_Museum,_Bagdad.jpg)
Golden
helmet of Meskalamdug (replica), possible founder of the First Dynasty
of Ur, 26th century BC
The process was begun in 1922 by digging trial trenches, in order
for Woolley to get an idea of the layout of the ancient city. In
one trench where initially nothing was discovered, head archaeologist
Leonard Woolley decided to dig deeper. There, clay vases, limestone
bowls, small bronze objects and assorted beads were found. Woolley
thought that there may have been gold beads and, to entice the workers
to turn them in when found, Woolley offered a sum of money—this
led to the discovery of the gold beads after the workers repurchased
them from the goldsmiths they sold them to.
Dishonesty
of the workers was an issue, but not the only in the preliminary
digs. The locals hired to help had no previous experience in archaeology,
leading Woolley to abandon what they referred to as the "gold
trench" for four years, until the workers became more well
versed in archaeological digs. In addition, archaeology was still
in the beginning stages as a field. As a result, gold objects were
identified by an expert who dated them to the "Late Babylonian"
(c. 700 BC), when in fact they dated back to the reign of Sargon
I (c. 2300 BC).
The
cemetery at Ur included just over 2000 burials. Amongst these burials
were sixteen tombs identified by Woolley as "royal" tombs
based on their size and structure, variety and richness of grave
goods as well as the existence of artifacts associated with mass
ritual.
The
site :
The ruins of the ancient city of Ur can be found in the desert of
southern Iraq. The city remained abandoned after the Euphrates River
changed its course more than two millennia ago. Early archaeologists,
however, dug into the surface and recovered graves, some of which
had royal names inscribed on them. Woolley began his excavation
in 1922 on behalf of the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. However, the actual discovery
of the cemetery and its royal tombs was four years later after the
excavation started. The large cemetery was in operation for at least
three centuries during the second half of the third millennium BC.
Most of the graves were individual burials that had cut into one
another. Male and female corpses were found with their belongings
that identified them as either rich or poor.
![](640px-Funeral_procession_at_Ur,_circa_2600_BCE_(reconstitution).jpg)
Funeral
disposition in tomb PG 789, at the Royal Cemetery of Ur, circa 2600
BCE (reconstitution)
Woolley initially unearthed 1850 graves but later identified 260
additional ones. Nevertheless, sixteen were unique to him, because
they stood out from all the rest in terms of their wealth, the structure
of their burial grounds, and rituals. He thought that the stone-built
chambers and the immense value of riches belonged to the dead that
came from royal lineage. Such cadavers inside their respective stone
chambers were the only ones to have abundant provisions in order
to meet their needs in the afterlife. Having that said, the subordinates
were not treated in the same manner and had nothing of the aforementioned
goods. They were treated in the same manner as other provisions
and supplies, because the funeral was solely for the principal corpse.
When the main body was buried, the rest of the people would have
been sacrificed in that person's honor and buried thereafter.
When
Woolley found the Great Death Pit (PG 1237), it was in extremely
poor condition. What remained of the chamber were a few stones and
some gold, lapis lazuli, and carnelian beads in fine condition.
The Great Death Pit was an open square-shaped space, serving as
the graveyard for the bodies of armed men that were laid out inside
along with other corpses thought to belong to women or young girls.
The introduction of massive death pits at Ur is usually associated
to Meskalamdug, one of the kings of Ur that was also known as the
paramount ruler of all the Sumerians. He started the practice of
such a massive entombment with the sacrifice of soldiers and an
entire choir of women to accompany him in the afterlife. It has
also been suggested that the Great Death Pit was the tomb of Mesannepada.
Puabi
:
![](640px-Flickr_-_Nic%27s_events_-_British_Museum_with_Cory_and_Mary,_6_Sep_2007_-_185.jpg)
Queen
Puabi's Cylinder Seal
![](398px-Bull%27s_head_of_the_Queen%27s_lyre_from_Pu-abi%27s_grave_PG_800,_the_Royal_Cemetery_at_Ur,_Southern_Mesopotamia,_Iraq._The_British_Museum,_London..jpg)
Lyre
of a Bull's Head from Queen Puabi's tomb. (British Museum)
In contrast to the Great Death Pit, one of the royal tombs at Ur
survived practically in its entirety, which was most notably due
to its treasures left largely unscathed on the body of royal lineage.
Such a body belonged to Queen Puabi and was easy to identify due
to her jewelry made out of beads of gold, silver, lapis lazuli,
carnelian, and agate. Nevertheless, the biggest clues that denoted
her title as queen was a cylinder seal with her name on the inscription
and her crown, which was made out of layers of gold ornaments shaped
in intricate floral patterns. Once more, Woolley uncovered an earth
ramp leading down to the death pit of the well-preserved tomb, which
was twelve by four meters approximately, and found a menagerie of
corpses that ranged from armed men to women wearing headdresses
with elaborate details. In his descent toward the pit, he found
traces of reed matting, and they covered the artifacts and bodies
in order to avoid contact with the soil that had filled the royal
grave. Two meters below the level of the pit laid a tomb chamber
built of stone that had no doorway in its walls, and its only accessible
entrance was through its roof. Once inside, four bodies rested inside
the tomb, but the most important one was evidently that of the queen.
Burial
practices :
The bodies at the Royal Cemetery underwent certain burial practices.
In the tombs, the primary inhumation is placed inside the tomb chamber
usually accompanied by attendants. More bodies or victims are buried
too often in separate chambers or, more commonly, in ‘death
pits’, an open, sunken court. The amount of sacrificed bodies
in one tomb can range from a small amount of six to between seventy
and eighty bodies. The attendants are usually lying in neat rows
within the death pits or chambers. It is not entirely known if the
attendants died placed in that manner or were positioned after death.
The principal body was always laid on a mat made of reeds which
also lined the floor and walls of the pit where the attendants are
located. In some tombs the bodies are arranged in very specific
ways. Some tombs were found with male skeletons with helmets and
spears positioned in front of the entrance as guards and then contained
female attendants inside.
![](640px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14767391765).jpg)
Grave
of Meskalamdug (PG 755, marked B) at the Royal Cemetery at Ur, next
to royal tomb PG 779 (possibly belonging to Ur-Pabilsag, "A")
and royal tomb PG 777 (possibly the wife of Ur-Pabilsag, "C")
It is not known for sure who the primary inhumations are but it
is generally assumed that they are royalty. The occupants are possibly
related either by blood or marriage. Additionally, there is little
textual evidence available to explain the tombs at the cemetery
and the practices of the people but it is thought that the burials
of the royalty consisted of multi-day ceremonies. Some of the bodies
have evidence of heating or smoking which could have been an attempt
at preserving the bodies to last through the ceremony. Additionally
mercury has been found on some skulls which could also indicate
an attempt of preservation. Music, wailing, and feasting took place
in addition to the burial with the possibility of the attendants
joining in. In the first part of the ceremony the body was laid
in the tomb, along with the offerings, and then sealed with brick
and stone. In the next part of the ceremony the death pits are filled
with guards, attendants, musicians, and animals, such as ox or donkeys.
![](640px-Grave_779_at_the_Royal_Cemetery_of_Ur.jpg)
Plan
of the three chambers of grave PG 779, thought to belong to Ur-Pabilsag.
The Standard of Ur was located in "S"
How the attendants ended up buried with the royalty is somewhat
unknown. All of the bodies are arranged in an ordered fashion and
appear peaceful. The elaborate headdresses worn by women are undisturbed
which lends to the assumption they were lying or sitting down when
they died. Woolley thought initially that the attendants were human
sacrifices and were killed to show the kings power and put on a
public show. Later he speculated that the attendants voluntarily
consumed poison to continue serving their head in death. Each attendant
was found with a small cup nearby which they could drink the poison
from. The poison could have been a sedative with the cause of death
being suffocation from having the chamber sealed. Some research
has found that some of the skulls had received blunt force trauma
indicating that, rather than voluntarily serving their head in death,
they were forcibly killed.
Grave
goods :
![](434px-Reconstructed_sumerian_headgear_necklaces_british_museum.jpg)
Reconstructed
Sumerian headgear necklaces found in the tomb of Puabi, housed at
the British Museum
The
cemetery at Ur contained more than 2000 burials alongside a corresponding
wealth of objects. Many items come from the handful of royal burials.
Many of these grave goods were likely imported from various surrounding
regions including Afghanistan, Egypt, and the Indus valley. Objects
of significance varied from cylinder seals, jewelry and metalwork,
to pottery, musical instruments, and more.
Cylinder
seals :
Cylinder seals found amongst the grave goods in the cemetery at
Ur were often inscribed with the names of the deceased. Excavators
retrieved three cylinder seals near queen Puabi’s remains,
one with her name written in cuneiform.
Jewelry
and metalwork :
The various female personages and attendants buried at the cemetery
of Ur were adorned with jewelry made from gold, silver, lapis lazuli
and carnelian including a variety of necklaces, earrings, headdresses,
and hair rings. The presence of Carnelian beads present amongst
the grave goods at the cemetery indicated trade with the Indus Valley.
Hair ornaments included hair combs with floral elements made of
gold, lapis, shell, and pink limestone. In addition, hair ribbons
of gold and silver and inlaid combs with rosettes were also found
amongst the human remains at Ur.
Many
of the jewels contained some sort of botanical reference. Amongst
them are vegetal wreaths fashioned with gold leaves. Notably, Puabi’s
headdress consists of four botanical wreaths including rosettes
or stars and leaves.
![](640px-British_Museum_Middle_East_14022019_Gold_and_carnelian_beads_2600-2300_BC_Royal_cemetery_of_Ur_(composite).jpg)
The
etched carnelian beads in this necklace from the Royal Tombs of
Ur are thought to have come from the Indus Valley civilization,
in an example of Indus-Mesopotamia relations
![](640px-Diadem_from_child%27s_grave_PG_1133.jpg)
Diadem
from child's grave, PG 1133
Other precious metals were found in the form of helmets, daggers,
and various vessels in copper, silver, and gold. A gold helmet,
whose ownership is attributed to Meskalamdug was found in a grave
that Woolley believed to be an elite, but not necessarily a king.
The helmet was made from a single piece of gold and fashioned to
resemble a wig.
The
presence of fully developed casting practices is assumed from the
discovery of another weapon made from electrum. At the same time,
another weapon, referred to as the “Daggar of Ur,” was,
according to Woolley, the first significant grave good discovered
at Ur. The sheath and blade are both made from gold with a handle
of lapis lazuli with gold decoration. Other examples of metal work
include a variety of golden goblets and vessels made with handles
of twisted wire. Some of these vessels included relief decoration
or patterning. Hammered work in various metals was also discovered.
This included a shield ornament containing an Assyrian style subject
of lions and men being trampled. Other objects included a silver
fluted bowl with engravings and a silver model of a sea faring vessel.
Pottery
:
The pottery types at Ur included mostly jar forms and bowls with
limited variety in style. Conical bowls, as recorded by the excavators,
fall into two categorical types based on their rim diameters. Woolley
identified 24 different pottery types at the Royal Cemetery based
on the excavation of 238 graves. In order to date the pottery and
burials at Ur, some scholars have looked to the pottery to compare
to similar types from other sites in Mesopotamia and then checked
using cylinder seals.
Musical
instruments :
Amongst the finds at Ur were the remains of highly decorated musical
instruments. Several lyres were discovered in the main pit associated
with four women. Most of these instruments were wooden with silver
overlay alongside other details. One lyre's sound box was made from
silver with blue and white mosaic detail and engraved shell with
pictorial engravings on the front created using a similar technique
to niello work. This particular lyre also included a silver cast
cow's head and silver tuning rods. Another lyre was shaped like
a seafaring vessel supporting the statue of a stag. Yet another
lyre incorporated various materials including wood, shell, lapis
lazuli, red stone, silver and gold. The lyres found at Ur often
included the representation of animals including a cow, stag, bearded
bull, and a calf. Of particular note is the Bull-headed lyre from
PG 789, also referred to as the "King's Grave". Woolley
theorized that each animal might have corresponded to the tone of
the instrument itself.
Ram
in a Thicket :
![](447px-Raminathicket2.jpg)
Ram in a Thicket
The discovery of two goat statues in PG 1237 are just two examples
of polychrome sculpture at Ur. These objects, referred to as “rams
in the thicket” by Woolley, were made of wood and covered
in gold, silver, shell and lapis lazuli. The Ram in a Thicket uses
gold for the tree, legs, and face of the goat, silver for the belly
and parts of the base alongside pink and white mosaics. The back
of the animal is constructed using shell attached with bitumen.
Other details such as the eyes, horns, and beard are fashioned from
lapis lazuli.
The
Standard of Ur :
![](640px-Standard_of_Ur_-_War.jpg)
The Standard of Ur
Discovered in PG 779 was a, as yet, unidentified object referred
to as the Standard of Ur. The Standard of Ur is a trapezoidal wooden
box incorporating lapis lazuli, shell and red limestone into the
depiction of various figures on its surface. Its function is debated,
although Woolley believed it to be a military standard, explaining
this object's current name. On each side of the standard, the pictorial
elements are considered part of a narrative sequence divided formally
into 3 registers with all figures on a common ground. The standard
uses hierarchy of scale to identify important figures in the compositions.
Read from left to right, bottom to top on one side of the standard,
starting with the lowest registers, there are men carrying various
goods or leading animals and fish towards the top register where
larger seated figures take part in a feast accompanied by musicians
and attendants. The other side depicts a more militaristic subject
where men in horse-drawn chariots trample over prostrate bodies
and soldiers and prisoners process up towards the top frieze where
the central personage is designated by his large scale, punctuating
the border of the upper most frieze.
Present
day :
New theories :
Analyses of the findings of Sir Leonard Woolley have led to new
theories concerning the royal tombs.
In
1998, Paul Zimmerman wrote a master's thesis while at the University
of Pennsylvania on the Royal Cemetery at Ur. Graves PG789 and PG800,
the king and queen's graves, according to Woolley, were complete
burials with attendants and worldly possessions. Zimmerman analyzed
the layout and formulated the hypothesis that the two tombs were
in fact three. Pit PG800 had two rooms that were on two different
levels, something that Zimmerman found inconsistent with grave PG789
(the rooms were connected). In addition, Woolley claimed that Puabi's
grave was built after the king's in order to be close to him. Zimmerman
posits that, because Puabi's grave was 40 cm lower than that of
the king's, her grave was actually built first. With these in mind,
Zimmerman claimed that the death pit assigned to Queen Puabi was
actually a death pit from a different grave that is unknown.
State
of the royal tombs :
![](640px-Royal_Tombs_of_Ur_Objects_from_tomb_PG_580.jpg)
Gold
objects from tomb PG 580, replicas in British Museum
Looting of archaeological sites was a common occurrence brought
under control during the reign of Saddam Hussein, whose government
declared the act a capital offense. Due to the Iraq War, however,
looting has occurred more frequently. Entire archaeological sites
have been destroyed, with as many as tens of thousands of holes
dug by looters.
The
"Royal Cemetery At Ur", however, has remained largely
preserved. The site was located in the boundaries of the Tallil
Air Base, controlled by allied forces. It was damaged during the
first Gulf War, when the air base was bombed. As a result, in 2008,
a team of scholars, including Elizabeth Stone of Stony Brook University,
found that the walls of the royal tombs were beginning to collapse.
Deterioration was also recorded in the team's findings, due to the
occupation of the military.
Neglect,
however, was cited as most harmful to the site. Stone stated that
for 30 years the "Iraq Department of Antiquities" lacked
the resources to properly inspect and conserve the site, along with
others that the team examined. As a result, sites like the Royal
Cemetery at Ur have begun to erode.
In
May 2009, "Iraq's State Board of Antiquities" regained
control of the site, helping with the conservation of the ancient
site.
Graves
:
A vast number of individual graves, and a few royal graves have
been identified at the Royal Cemetery of Ur. The attribution of
the royal graves is generally tentative, but some efforts have been
made to match them with royal figures otherwise known through inscriptions
or regnal lists such as the Sumerian King List. Julian Reade has
tentatively attributed the main tombs to the following rulers :
![](621px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14581176900).jpg)
Cemetery
area, with royal graves
PG
1236 :
Tomb
PG 1236, a twin tomb in the Royal Cemetery at Ur, is the largest
and probably the earliest tomb structure at the cemetery, dated
to circa 2600 BCE. It has been tentatively attributed to an early
king of the First Dynasty of Ur named A-Imdugud (ADIM.DUGUDMUŠEN,
named after God Imdugud, also read Aja-Anzu), whose inscribed seal
was found in the tomb.
Several
artefacts are known from tomb PG 1236. Two inscribed seals were
found, one is a banquet scene with an inscription Gan-Ekiga(k),
and another with the depiction of a nude hero fighting lions and
a war scene reminiscent of the Standard of Ur, with the name Aja-Anzu,
also read A-Imdugud. This seals is very similar to the seal of Mesannepada.
Gold leaves with embossed designs, as well as a reconstituted gold
scepter, have also been found in the tomb, as well as a royal scepter.
![](640px-Artifacts_from_PG_1236_(scepter).jpg)
Scepter,
tomb PG 1236
![](Plan_of_tomb_PG_1236,_Royal_Cemetery_of_Ur.jpg)
Plan
of tomb PG 1236, with three chambers, thought to belong to A-Imdugud.
Royal Cemetery of Ur
![](456px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14765144594).jpg)
Tomb
PG 1236, at the Royal Cemetery of Ur. Doorway, and domed tomb chambers
seen from above
![](640px-Seal_from_PG_1236_with_inscription_Aja-Anzu,_also_read_A-Imdugud.jpg)
Seal
from PG 1236 with inscription "Aja-Anzu", also read "A-Imdugud".
Upper register: a nude hero fighting lions. Lower register: chariotter
trampling an enemy, and foot soldiers escorting a naked prisoner
![](Banquet_scene_with_an_inscription_Gan-Ekiga(k)_PG_1236.jpg)
Banquet
scene with an inscription Gan-Ekiga(k), PG 1236
![](480px-Artifacts_from_PG_1236_(gold_foil).jpg)
Gold
foil, tomb PG 1236
![](640px-Design_embossed_on_gold_leaf,_PG_1236,_Royal_Cemetery_of_Ur.jpg)
Design
embossed on the gold foil, tomb PG 1236, thought to belong to A-Imdugud,
Royal Cemetery of Ur
PG
779 :
PG
779 is an early monumental grave, which has been associated with
king Ur-Pabilsag (ur-dpa-bil2-sag) an early ruler of the First Dynasty
of Ur in the 26th century BCE. He does not appear in the Sumerian
King List, but is known from an inscription fragment found in Ur,
bearing the title "Ur-Pabilsag, king of Ur". It has been
suggested that his tomb was grave PG 779. He may have died around
2550 BCE.
The
tomb of Ur-Pabilsag (Grave PG 779) is generally considered as the
second oldest at the site, and probably contemporary with grave
PG 777, thought to be the tomb of his queen. Meskalamdug (grave
PG 755, or possibly PG 789) was his son.
Several
artefacts are known from tomb PG 779 at the Royal Cemetery at Ur,
such as the famous Standard of Ur, and decorated shell plaques.
![](640px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14767391765).jpg)
Tomb
of Ur-Pabilsag in the center (PG 779, marked "A"), with
the tomb of Meskalamdug on the left (PG 755, marked "B"),
next to the royal tomb of the queen of Ur-Pabilsag (PG 777, marked
"C")
![](640px-Grave_779_at_the_Royal_Cemetery_of_Ur.jpg)
Plan
of grave PG 779. The Standard of Ur was located in "S"
![](611px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14744430356).jpg)
Grave
PG 779, the tomb of Ur-Pabilsag
![](640px-Denis_Bourez_-_British_Museum,_London_(8747049029)_(2).jpg)
The
Standard of Ur, from tomb PG 779
![](592px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14580929038).jpg)
Shell
inlay from tomb PG 779
![](King_at_war_leading_soldiers_Standard_of_Ur.jpg)
King
at war, with soldiers, from the Standard of Ur
PG
755: "Prince Meskalamdug" :
PG 755 is a small individual grave without attendants, generally
attributed to king Meskalamdug (MES-KALAM-DUG "hero of the
good land"). Alternatively, since the tomb lacks of royal characteristics,
it has been suggested that it may belong to a prince, for example
the son of Meskalamdug.
The
tomb contained numerous gold artifacts including a golden helmet
with an inscription of the king's name. By observing the contents
of this royal grave, it is made clear that this ancient civilization
was quite wealthy. Meskalamdug was probably the father of king Mesannepada
of Ur, who appears in the king list and in many other inscriptions.
![](640px-Royal_Cemetery_of_Ur_excavations_(B&W).jpg)
Grave
of Meskalamdug (PG 755, "A")
![](640px-Grave_of_Meskalamdug_(PG_755,_B)_at_Ur,_next_to_royal_tomb_PG_779_(A)_and_royal_tomb_PG_777_(C).jpg)
Grave
of Meskalamdug (PG 755, marked "B" on the left), next
to royal tomb of Ur-Pabilsag (PG 779, marked "A" in the
center) and tomb of Ur-Pabilsag's queen on the right (PG 777, "C")
![](A_gold_dagger_and_a_dagger_with_a_gold-plated_handle,_Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14581033499).jpg)
A
gold dagger and a dagger with a gold-plated handle, grave PG 755,
Ur excavations (1900)
![](640px-Goods_from_grave_PG_755.jpg)
Alabaster
vases and helmet from the grave of Meskalamdug, grave PG 755
![](416px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14767364572).jpg)
Golden
bowls found in the tomb of Meskalamdug (grave PG 755), with vertical
inscription of his name, "Meskalamdug"
![](640px-Golden_bowl_from_the_grave_of_Meskalamdug_(PG_755,_Ur).jpg)
Golden
bowl from the grave of Meskalamdug (PG 755, Ur)
![](220px-Gold_monkey_of_Meskalamdug_(grave_PG_755_at_Ur).jpg)
Gold
monkey of Meskalamdug (grave PG 755 at Ur)
![](600px-Silver_ewer_and_copper_paten_from_the_tomb_of_Meskalamdug_from_page_354_of__Ur_excavations_.jpg)
Silver
ewer and copper paten from the tomb of Meskalamdug
Tomb
PG 1054: "Queen of Meskalamdug" :
This grave exhibits many characteristics of a royal burial. It is
thought to belong to Nibanda, Queen of Meskalamdug.
![](640px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14580766320).jpg)
The
grave
![](640px-Seal_of_King_Meskalamdug.jpg)
Seal
of King Meskalamdug
Tomb
PG 789: "the King's grave" :
![](608px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14580679350).jpg)
Tomb
PG 789 appears in "E", just behind Tomb PG 755
According to Julian Reade tomb PG 755 was the tomb of a "Prince
Meskalamdug", but the actual tomb of King Meskalamdug, known
from seal U 11751, is more likely to be royal tomb PG 789. This
tomb has been called "the King's grave", where the remains
of numerous royal attendants and many beautiful objects were recovered,
and is located right next to the tomb of Queen Puabi, thought to
be the second wife of King Meskalamdug.
![](640px-Funeral_procession_at_Ur,_circa_2600_BCE_(reconstitution).jpg)
Funeral
disposition in the great death pit, PG 789. The King's tomb would
be the dome in the back (reconstitution)
![](352px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14580798039).jpg)
Plan
of tomb PG 789
![](446px-Bull-headed_lyre_recovered_from_the_royal_cemetery_of_Ur_Iraq_2550-2450_BCE_Gold_Lapis_Lazuli_(2).jpg)
Bull
head in a lyre
![](315px-Bull-headed_lyre_recovered_from_the_royal_cemetery_of_Ur_Iraq_2550-2450_BCE_Gold_Lapis_Lazuli.jpg)
Bull-headed
lyre recovered from the royal cemetery of Ur Iraq 2550 - 2450 BCE
![](338px-Lyre_detail_(Royal_Cemetery_of_Ur).jpg)
Nacre
plate on lyre, with anthropomorphic animals, PG 789
![](539px-SumerianBulls.jpg)
Master
of animals motif in a panel of the soundboard of the Ur harp
![](640px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14765338634).jpg)
Plate
from PG 789
![](640px-Weapons_from_tomb_PG_789.jpg)
Weapons
from tomb PG 789
![](640px-Silver_model_of_a_boat,_tomb_PG_789,_Royal_Cemetery_of_UR,_2600-2500_BCE.jpg)
Silver
model of a boat, tomb PG 789, 2600-2500 BCE
Tomb
PG 800: "Queen Puabi" :
This is the tomb of Queen Puabi, located next to tomb PG 789. She
is thought to be the second wife of Meskalamdug.
![](378px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14764273291).jpg)
Tomb
PG 800
![](640px-Flickr_-_Nic%27s_events_-_British_Museum_with_Cory_and_Mary,_6_Sep_2007_-_185.jpg)
Cylinder
seal of Queen Puabi, found in her tomb. Inscription Pu-A-Bi-Nin
"Queen Puabi"
![](434px-Reconstructed_sumerian_headgear_necklaces_british_museum.jpg)
Reconstructed
Sumerian headgear necklaces found in the tomb of Puabi, housed at
the British Museum
![](413px-Queen%27s_Lyre_Ur_Royal_Cemetery.jpg)
Queen's
Lyre, one of the Lyres of Ur, Ur Royal Cemetery
![](569px-Inlay_of_two_standing_goats_BM_121529.jpg)
Inlay
with two standing goats, Ur, Tomb PG 800
Tomb
1237: "the Great Death Pit" :
According to Julian Reade, tomb PG 1237, nicknamed "the Death-Pit",
may possibly be attributed to king Mesannepada.
![](640px-Ur_excavations_(1900)_(14580870389).jpg)
Disposition
of royal attendants in tomb PG 1237
![](447px-Raminathicket2.jpg)
Ram
in a Thicket in PG 1237
![](346px-Silver_lyre,_PG_1237,_Royal_Cemetery_of_Ur.jpg)
Silver
lyre, PG 1237
![](The_golden_bull%27s_head_from_the_lyre,_Ur_excavations_(1900).jpg)
The
golden bull's head from the lyre, PG 1237
![](640px-Woman%27s_Head_with_Jewelry_Preserved_as_Excavated.jpg)
Woman's
head with jewellery, preserved as excavated, British Museum
Tomb
PG 580 :
Possible
tomb of A'anepada, king, son of Mesannepada.
![](640px-Gold_items_PG_580.jpg)
Gold items PG 580
![](640px-British_Museum_-_Room_56_(20566120524).jpg)
Dagger
![](305px-Copper_alloy_axe_-_Ur_RT.jpg)
Copper
alloy axe
![](640px-Copper_Alloy_Chisel,_Harpoons,_Lance_and_Spear_Heads.jpg)
Copper
Alloy Chisel, Harpoons, Lance and Spear Heads
![](620px-Jewellery_PG_580_-_Ur_RT.jpg)
Jewellery
PG 580
![](620px-Jewellery_PG_580_2_-_Ur_RT.jpg)
Jewellery
PG 580
Gallery
:
![](The_gold_lyre_from_the_Great_Death-Pit,_Ur_excavations_(1900).jpg)
The
Ur Queen's Lyre from Wooley's published record
![](640px-Headdress_MET_DP226592_(cropped).jpg)
Headdress
decorated with golden leaves; 2600 - 2400 BC; gold, lapis lazuli
and carnelian; length: 38.5 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art
![](440px-Plaque_with_libation_scene_BM_120850.jpg)
Plaque
with a libation scene, found in loose ground around the graves.
2550 - 2250 BCE, Royal Cemetery at Ur
![](640px-Tomb_of_king_2.jpg)
A
tomb as restored today
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Royal_Cemetery_at_Ur