Ur
Tell el-Muqayyar
Iraq · Dhi Qar
In brief
Ur is one of the archaeological components of UNESCO's Ahwar of Southern Iraq heritage site. Leonard Woolley's excavations uncovered approximately 1,800 graves and royal tombs containing rich grave goods.
What was found?
- 1Royal Cemetery
Multi-chambered stone tombs and rich grave goods were found alongside simple graves. These differences allow social distinctions in burial practices to be studied.
- 2Puabi's cylinder seal
The short cuneiform text gives Puabi's name and her title of queen. It is direct written evidence identifying the occupant of the tomb.
- 3Puabi's headdress and jewellery
A headdress made with gold leaves, lapis lazuli, and agate beads, together with other jewellery. Their fine workmanship and variety of materials demonstrate elite funerary equipment.
What does it point to?
Differences in the forms and contents of the graves indicate clear distinctions in status within Ur society. According to researchers, Puabi's identification as queen on her seal without her husband's name suggests that she may have ruled in her own right.
What did it teach us?
- It revealed that simple burials and richly furnished chambered tombs existed together in the same cemetery.
- It documented a woman's name and title of queen through her own seal.
- Jewellery made from gold and semi-precious stones provided tangible examples of Sumerian jewellery craftsmanship.
Images


Record
- Culture
- Sumerian
- First modern dig
- 1854
- Team / historical
- Penn Museum
- Coordinates
- 30.9631°, 46.1031°
Sources
- whc.unesco.org
- whc.unesco.org
- metmuseum.org
- royalasiaticarchives.org
- bisi.ac.uk
- Metropolitan Sanat Müzesi — Ur: The Royal Graves
- Penn Müzesi — Queen Puabi's Headdress
Nearby excavations
- —
- —
- 12.000
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Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook
All excavation sites (395)
Türkiye
- Acemhöyük
- Aizanoi
- Alabanda
- Alacahöyük
- Amos
- Ani
- Aphrodisias
- Arslantepe Mound
- Aspendos
- Assos
- Ayanis Fortress
- Aşıklı Höyük
- Barcın Höyük
- Blaundus
- Boncuklu Höyük
- Can Hasan I
- Carchemish
- Claros Sanctuary
- Clazomenae
- Domuztepe
- Ephesus
- Euromus
- Gordion
- Göbekli Tepe
- Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia
- Hattusha
- Hierapolis
- Iasos
- Kaman-Kalehöyük
- Karahantepe
- Karatepe-Aslantaş
- Kaunos
- Kibyra
- Knidos
- Kültepe-Kanesh
- Laodicea on the Lycus
- Letoon Sanctuary
- Limyra
- Magnesia on the Maeander
- Medieval City of Beçin
- Metropolis in Ionia
- Miletus
- Myra
- Nemrut Dağ
- Nysa on the Maeander
- Olympus in Lycia
- Oymaağaç Höyük — Nerik
- Patara
- Pergamon
- Perge
- Phaselis
- Priene
- Sagalassos
- Sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma
- Sanctuary of Labraunda
- Sapinuwa
- Sardis
- Sayburç
- Side
- Stratonikeia
- Tell Atchana – Alalakh
- Teos
- Tripolis on the Meander
- Troy
- Uluburun Shipwreck
- Xanthos
- Yenikapı – Theodosian Harbour Excavations
- Yeşilova Höyük
- Yumuktepe
- Zerzevan Castle
- Zeugma
- Zincirli Höyük — Sam'al
- Çatalhöyük
- Çavuştepe Fortress
- Çayönü
- Çukuriçi Höyük