Pit X
| Context Title: | Pit X1 |
| Context Name (Excavation): | Pit X |
| Context Name (Publication): | Pit X |
| Context Description: | Pit X was excavated as a large southern extension of the Royal Cemetery area, likely originally conceived as an extension of Pit Y (Pit J) at the southwest corner. Its main purpose was to uncover the earliest burials in the area, the so-called Jemdat Nasr cemetery first encountered in pits Y and Z. Pit X measured approximately 30x15 meters, though it may originally have been laid out to be 35x20. Woolley reports it as a rectangle covering 1000 square meters, but even the largest indication on the plan map and satellite images is at most 700 square meters and not truly rectangular. Nevertheless, it is a very large space that reached sea level some 20 meters below the surface of the mound. In the Antiquaries Journal for 1934 Woolley reports a total of 13,160 cubic meters of dirt having been removed from this pit. Some minor building remains of the Neo-Babylonian and Kassite periods were found near the surface but most of the area was apparently used as a dumping ground in the Late Bronze Age and later. Woolley knew that the Royal Cemetery area extended to the south of his main area PG but believed he would find few graves of the Akkadian and EDIII period. He discovered more than he expected, but none were overly rich in finds. These graves did not receive PG numbers since the UE2 Royal Cemetery volume had already been published. Instead, they received PJ numbers. The series PJG applied to graves in Pit X Woolley felt to be Akkadian or later and PJB applied to those of the EDIII period. The break between these two sequences came at around 10 meters above sea level. In all, Pit X added some 250 to the more than 1000 burials of these periods that Woolley had already uncovered in area PG. Beneath the graves of the Royal Cemetery (starting at around 6 meters above sea level) Woolley reached the earlier graves of what he called the Jemdat Nasr cemetery. Graves at this depth were given JNG numbers. In fact, JNG eventually applied to all of the early graves discovered in pits W, X, Y, and Z. Some of those excavated in Y and Z had received PG numbers but they were renumbered for publication in the JNG sequence. Most of these graves actually date to the Early Dynastic I period. The area near the base of the pit was smaller than that at the top. Only around 400 square meters was exposed near sea level, yet more than 200 early graves were discovered. Although Ubaid period pottery fragments were found, only two Ubaid burials were discovered here. The large area excavation stopped at 2 meters above sea level, but a test pit at the bottom reached down to sea level itself. |
| [1] Imported from BM list of contexts. |
| Object | U Number | Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) | Museum Number (BM Registration Number) | Museum Number (UPM B-number) | Description (Catalog Card) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18774 | (none) | 1935,0112.65 | (none) | Terracotta relief, fragment of. From the hips upwards, a nude female figure, full face, the left hand held across the belly, the right arm by her side: high relief, coarse face with big eyes. | |
| 18775 | 35-1-105 | (none) | (none) | Terracotta relief, fragment of. From the breasts upwards, a nude female figure in high relief: common features of 'Kassite' type. | |
 | 18776 | (none) | 1935,0112.63 | (none) | Terracotta relief, fragment of. A dog walking right, followed by its puppy. |
| 18777 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Terracotta relief, fragment of. An animal walking right, head missing; on its back the feet of a god of which the rest is broken away. |
| 18784A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay foundation cones, two, similar: (A) All the base preserved with text complete and the stem to the length of 40mm, with about half its text. (B) Base chipped with edge of inscribed area damaged: of the stem c. 60mm remains with half the inscription. |
| 18784B | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay foundation cones, two, similar: (A) All the base preserved with text complete and the stem to the length of 40mm, with about half its text. (B) Base chipped with edge of inscribed area damaged: of the stem c. 60mm remains with half the inscription. |
| 18785 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay foundation cone. Base missing: inscription on stem in 10 columns; most of lower part preserved. |
| 18786 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay foundation cone, lower part of. Inscribed on stem only, 12 columns. |
| 18787 | 35-1-111 | (none) | (none) | Lion head. Terracotta. modeled in the round. Good style. [drawing 1:1] | |
| 18788 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Animal's head. Terracotta. modeled in the round, partly with snow-man technique. [drawing 1:1] |
| 18789 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Terracotta relief, fragment. Head, shoulders and left arm of a bearded mail figure advancing right. High relief and coarse modelling. |
| 18790 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Cylinder seal. Dark steatite. Three standing figures and a crescent on a pole: two columns of inscription, much erased. |
| 18791 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Cylinder seal. Dark steatite. Two men fighting a lion. Poor work. |
| 18792 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Cylinder seal. Steatite. A standing god and two worshippers, with 2 columns of inscription badly worn and purposely defaced. Photo impossible. |
| 18793 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. One corner chipped. |
| 18794 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. | |
| 18795 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. (Intact) | |
| 18796 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay label. Triangular inscribed on both faces and with seal impression on the edges. |
| 18797 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. One corner chipped. |
| 18798 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. One side only inscribed. | |
| 18799 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. With one line only of inscription. | |
| 18800 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Most of top broken away. |
| 18802 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Cylinder seal. Dark brown steatite. Two men fighting a winged dragon: behind them an emblem on a pole, and a snake. |
| 18803 | (none) | 1935,0112.62 | (none) | Terracotta relief. Bearded man advancing rt and carrying in front of him in his left hand a goat; right hand rasied to mouth. Feet missing. | |
| 18805 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay bowl, fragment of. Of very highly burnished ware, black face inside and out, brown body. [drawing] 269 |
| Media | Media Title | Title | Label | Author | Omeka Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods | Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods | 1955 | Woolley, L. | (none) |
- 1 Media
Sibling Locations
Child Locations
Jemdat Nasr Graves - PJB - PJG
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Context
Ur > Royal Cemetery | PG > PJ > Pit X
References
Woolley, L. . (1955) Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods, Oxford: Oxford University Press.