Pit X

General

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.

Files

General

UE 4 Pit X.pdf - Download

UE 4 Pit X.3.pdf - Download

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U Number	Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number)	Museum Number (BM Registration Number)	Museum Number (UPM B-number)	Description (Catalog Card)
18929C	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Beads: carnelian date-shaped and cylindrical, one of the latter with bleached spiral line and rings: lapis double conoids and paste ditto steatite tubular, chisel pendant, frog amulet, and quartzite flat truncated date-shaped. (B) Two hair-rings of thin gold wire, five spiral coils. Also [C] a copper pin, type 2a. [C] a copper pin, type 2a.
18960A	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Beads: small gold balls, small carnelian balls, lapis diamonds, crystal rings, paste balls, these restrung as far as possible in original order. There were also small silver balls too perised for stringing. (B) Gold earring, small lunate type (the silver part has perished).
18960B	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Beads: small gold balls, small carnelian balls, lapis diamonds, crystal rings, paste balls, these restrung as far as possible in original order. There were also small silver balls too perised for stringing. (B) Gold earring, small lunate type (the silver part has perished).
18965A	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) beads; small gold balls, plain and ribbed, small carnelian balls, 2 carnelian date-shaped, 2 tubular and one flattened cone with belached design; one lapis ball. [drawing] (B) Gold earring, small lunate type.
18965B	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) beads; small gold balls, plain and ribbed, small carnelian balls, 2 carnelian date-shaped, 2 tubular and one flattened cone with belached design; one lapis ball. [drawing] (B) Gold earring, small lunate type.
19022A	35-1-100B	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold fillet, as [drawing] (B) Gold frontlet, oval with pierced ends. Bad condition; (C) Beads: very long carnelian tubes, balls; lapis tube and double conoid; silver balls; balls of gilt copper; flattened carnelian(?) disk.
19022B	35-1-100A	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold fillet, as [drawing] (B) Gold frontlet, oval with pierced ends. Bad condition; (C) Beads: very long carnelian tubes, balls; lapis tube and double conoid; silver balls; balls of gilt copper; flattened carnelian(?) disk.
19022C	35-1-100C	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold fillet, as [drawing] (B) Gold frontlet, oval with pierced ends. Bad condition; (C) Beads: very long carnelian tubes, balls; lapis tube and double conoid; silver balls; balls of gilt copper; flattened carnelian(?) disk.
18930G	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold hair-ribbon, spirally twisted, with hole at each end. (B) 2 earrings, gold lunate type intertwined with similar type in copper. [B and H] (C) copper finger ring, spirally wound wire. (D) two copper toe rings.[D and I] (E) beads: carnelian tube, large flat oval agate, gold balls and diamonds, gold ribbed balls , carnelian barrels and balls, carnelian double conoid, lapis double conoid and tubes, agate date-shaped: silver balls, (in original order). (F) copper reticule. (G) copper bowl, type 3.
18930A	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold hair-ribbon, spirally twisted, with hole at each end. (B) 2 earrings, gold lunate type intertwined with similar type in copper. [B.1 and .2] (C) copper finger ring, spirally wound wire. (D) two copper toe rings.[D and H] (E) beads: carnelian tube, large flat oval agate, gold balls and diamonds, gold ribbed balls , carnelian barrels and balls, carnelian double conoid, lapis double conoid and tubes, agate date-shaped: silver balls, (in original order). (F) copper reticule. (G) copper bowl, type 3.
18930B.1	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold hair-ribbon, spirally twisted, with hole at each end. (B) 2 earrings, gold lunate type intertwined with similar type in copper. [B.1 and .2] (C) copper finger ring, spirally wound wire. (D) two copper toe rings.[D and H] (E) beads: carnelian tube, large flat oval agate, gold balls and diamonds, gold ribbed balls , carnelian barrels and balls, carnelian double conoid, lapis double conoid and tubes, agate date-shaped: silver balls, (in original order). (F) copper reticule. (G) copper bowl, type 3.
18930C	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold hair-ribbon, spirally twisted, with hole at each end. (B) 2 earrings, gold lunate type intertwined with similar type in copper. [B.1 and .2] (C) copper finger ring, spirally wound wire. (D) two copper toe rings.[D and H] (E) beads: carnelian tube, large flat oval agate, gold balls and diamonds, gold ribbed balls , carnelian barrels and balls, carnelian double conoid, lapis double conoid and tubes, agate date-shaped: silver balls, (in original order). (F) copper reticule. (G) copper bowl, type 3.
18930D	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold hair-ribbon, spirally twisted, with hole at each end. (B) 2 earrings, gold lunate type intertwined with similar type in copper. [B.1 and .2] (C) copper finger ring, spirally wound wire. (D) two copper toe rings.[D and H] (E) beads: carnelian tube, large flat oval agate, gold balls and diamonds, gold ribbed balls , carnelian barrels and balls, carnelian double conoid, lapis double conoid and tubes, agate date-shaped: silver balls, (in original order). (F) copper reticule. (G) copper bowl, type 3.
18930E	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold hair-ribbon, spirally twisted, with hole at each end. (B) 2 earrings, gold lunate type intertwined with similar type in copper. [B.1 and .2] (C) copper finger ring, spirally wound wire. (D) two copper toe rings.[D and H] (E) beads: carnelian tube, large flat oval agate, gold balls and diamonds, gold ribbed balls , carnelian barrels and balls, carnelian double conoid, lapis double conoid and tubes, agate date-shaped: silver balls, (in original order). (F) copper reticule. (G) copper bowl, type 3.
18930F	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold hair-ribbon, spirally twisted, with hole at each end. (B) 2 earrings, gold lunate type intertwined with similar type in copper. [B.1 and .2] (C) copper finger ring, spirally wound wire. (D) two copper toe rings.[D and H] (E) beads: carnelian tube, large flat oval agate, gold balls and diamonds, gold ribbed balls , carnelian barrels and balls, carnelian double conoid, lapis double conoid and tubes, agate date-shaped: silver balls, (in original order). (F) copper reticule. (G) copper bowl, type 3.
18930B.2	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold hair-ribbon, spirally twisted, with hole at each end. (B) 2 earrings, gold lunate type intertwined with similar type in copper. [B.1 and .2] (C) copper finger ring, spirally wound wire. (D) two copper toe rings.[D and H] (E) beads: carnelian tube, large flat oval agate, gold balls and diamonds, gold ribbed balls , carnelian barrels and balls, carnelian double conoid, lapis double conoid and tubes, agate date-shaped: silver balls, (in original order). (F) copper reticule. (G) copper bowl, type 3.
18930H	(none)	(none)	(none)	(A) Gold hair-ribbon, spirally twisted, with hole at each end. (B) 2 earrings, gold lunate type intertwined with similar type in copper. [B.1 and .2] (C) copper finger ring, spirally wound wire. (D) two copper toe rings.[D and H] (E) beads: carnelian tube, large flat oval agate, gold balls and diamonds, gold ribbed balls , carnelian barrels and balls, carnelian double conoid, lapis double conoid and tubes, agate date-shaped: silver balls, (in original order). (F) copper reticule. (G) copper bowl, type 3.
(none)	35-1-227	(none)	(none)	(none)
(none)	35-1-255	(none)	(none)	(none)
(none)	35-1-225	(none)	(none)	(none)
19316	(none)	(none)	(none)	1) grey green paste cylinders. 2) carnelian cylinders.
19529	(none)	(none)	(none)	2 Stone vases in stand. White calcite. Type JN 27
19572	35-1-153	(none)	(none)	A hoop of gold wire partly round and partly square in section, the square parts twisted in the middle to produce a cable effect.
19744	35-1-43	(none)	(none)	Alabaster lamp.
19770	(none)	(none)	(none)	Alabaster lamp.