BEYOND THE STANDARD

The so-called Standard of Ur, a box decorated with scenes of peace and war, is likely the most well-known object to have been discovered by Leonard Woolley during his excavations of the First Dynasty (ca. 2600–2400 BC) cemetery at Ur, the Sumerian capital. The standard was, however, only one of many spectacular discoveries made during the twelve years of excavations (1922–1934). First identified in 1922 by Woolley, the cemetery of Ur would eventually yield up remarkable results, many of which deserve to be much more widely known.

Murray Dahm

Throughout his excavations, Woolley was accompanied only by his wife Katherine and a small number of assistants as they proceeded to excavate the cemetery systematically. In an area measuring 70 by 50 metres, and originally outside the initial boundary of the city, Woolley discovered some 2000 burials. There may have been many more burials and the exact identification of some remains difficult. Most were simple burials, but Woolley identified sixteen tombs (and some 660 burials) as royal, and this led to the most remarkable of discoveries. Elaborate and expensive Made of stone, a rare commodity in Ur, and consisting of a vaulted domed chamber at the bottom of a pit and accessed by a ramp, the most complex tombs consisted of four rooms or chambers. Later tombs had only a…

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Ancient History (Digital) - 1 Issue, AH 50

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