Context Title: PJ     
Context Name (Excavation): PJ     
Context Name (Excavation): Jemdet Nasr Cemetery     
Context Description: The excavation area abbreviation PJ originally referred solely to Pit J, later renamed Pit Y. The abbreviation then came to represent the expansion of the Royal Cemetery to the south from Pit Y, called Pit X. Pit Y uncovered many graves earlier than the Royal Cemetery that Woolley believed to come from the Jemdet Nasr period. This gave rise to the southern extension being conceived of as a Jemdet Nasr cemetery for which Woolley began assigning PJ numbers. From the beginning of Pit X, Woolley assigned PJG numbers rather than PG numbers. He quickly recognized that these upper graves were actually a continuation of the Royal Cemetery Akkadian burials and when he began to see the burials of the main Royal Cemetery period, he switched to PJB numbers. Below these he assigned JNG numbers to graves, continuing the sequence from Pit W excavated in the preceding year. Then he renumbered early graves in Pits Y and Z (dug 4 years prior) to follow the Pit X JNG sequence. There are very few references to the original Pit J. In fact, all catalog cards that utilize the PJ abbreviation come from the final season of excavation and all refer to Pit X. Any artifacts that have only the PJ designation and no further refinement of grave number come from the general area of Pit X and were not associated with a specific grave. These often have further notes such as 'upper levels' or other indication that they are from the dumping grounds near the surface of Pit X.     
Season Number: 08: 1929-1930      
Season Number: 11: 1932-1933      
Season Number: 12: 1933-1934      

Objects: PJ Export: JSON - XML - CSV Clay Seals and Sealings

Object U Number Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) Museum Number (BM Registration Number) Museum Number (UPM B-number) Description (Catalog Card)
18870 35-1-12 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Dark steatite. Seated goddess and two standing figures.
18914 35-1-6 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. Two registers: above, two heroes each fighting with two beasts below, seated and standing figures.
18919 35-1-22, 35-1-22 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Green steatite (?) with copper caps. Two standing gods shaking hands: two men killing a kneeling prisoner: two columns of inscription supported by an animal. Good work.
18922 35-1-16 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. A god driving a chariot drawn by a winged gryphon(?); between the wings rises a goddess armed with a bow, in front of it is another god. One column of inscription. Inscription: Ur-gis-me-e (C.J.G.)
18923 35-1-2 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Shell. A hero, and fighting animals. Archaic: very much worn and defaced.
18924 35-1-17 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Brown steatite. Two heroes fighting animals.
18925 35-1-8 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Very dark steatite. Hero fighting heraldically crossed lions and bulls.
18927 35-1-10 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Grey steatite. Seated deity and 2 worshippers and goat.
18946 35-1-4 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Dark steatite. Animals fighting; two lions heraldically crossed and two gazelles.
18947 35-1-11 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. A spread eagle grasping two wild goats.
18948 35-1-13, 35-1-13 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Standing god with two worshippers; two columns of inscription. Inscription: Ilu-su(?)-ir, son of Dudu (C.J.G.)
18974 35-1-9, 35-1-9 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Dark green steatite. One seated and three standing figures: two columns of inscription. Inscription: Lugal-ma (C.J.G.)
18976 35-1-5 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Light yellowish stone. 2 heroes fighting animals.
18981 35-1-21 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Green stone. 2 heroes fighting lions.
18994 35-1-14 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. Two hunters fighting a lion.
19075 35-1-7 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. Two registers: in each, a row of animals, the rows inverted.
19191 35-1-1 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Shell. With rings of steatite inset at the two ends. Heroes fighting animals. (somewhat decayed).
19230 35-1-3 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Shell. Fightling animals and a spread eagle over a tree.
19974 35-1-18 (none) (none) Stamp seal. [drawing 1:1]
  • 19 Objects

Media: PJ Export: JSON - XML - CSV

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

Child Locations

Pit X - Pit Y