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

Object U Number Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) Museum Number (BM Registration Number) Museum Number (UPM B-number) Description (Catalog Card)
19575.6 (none) (none) (none) [.1-.7] Beads. Carnelian and chalcedony [drawing], carnelian tubes and balls, lapis and marble balls, shell date-shaped : a very large collection : 1 gold
19575.7 (none) (none) (none) [.1-.7] Beads. Carnelian and chalcedony [drawing], carnelian tubes and balls, lapis and marble balls, shell date-shaped : a very large collection : 1 gold
20037.1 (none) (none) (none) [.1-.2] Earrings. A pair. Silver. Triple hoops of coiled wire.
20037.2 (none) (none) (none) [.1-.2] Earrings. A pair. Silver. Triple hoops of coiled wire.
20035.1 (none) (none) (none) [.1-.2] Beads. Small carnelian and lapis short cylinders, paste rings, and one flat oval carnelian.
20035.2 35-1-86 (none) (none) [.1-.2] Beads. Small carnelian and lapis short cylinders, paste rings, and one flat oval carnelian.
18875 (none) (none) (none) Weight Steatite. Date-shaped. Weight according to Baghdad 81 2/3 grammes = 1260.27 Troy grains (1 gramme = 15.432 Troy grains)
18873 (none) (none) (none) Weight hematite. Long thin date-shaped. Type III.
19298 (none) 1935,0112.15 (none) Vase. Black clay finely burnished. Type JN 13. Imitation of stone type JN 26.
(none) 35-1-229 (none) (none) Unknown
(none) 35-1-228 (none) (none) Unknown
(none) 35-1-226 (none) (none) unknown
15138 (none) 1930,1213.280 (none) Tumbler. Baked clay. With two small bosses round upper portion, also decorated with incised lines. The bosses were probably breasts and the tumbler may have been for use in the fertility cult. Both bosses are on one side of the vase only 100 apart. Type: CCCXXVI.
18818 (none) (none) (none) Terrracotta relief, fragment of. Upper part of large bearded male figure advancing left with right hand extended: the left hand holds a weapon against the breast: apparently nude. Face bad.
18852 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief. Seated goddess with horned cap and long flounced dress seated facing right with her feet on a lion. Top corner of plaque broken but the figure intact.
18750 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief. Nude male figure advancing right, the left hand held over breast, right arm hanging, left leg forward. Head missing and feet. Fairly common type (with short beard.)
18772 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief. Nude female standing with hands clasped below the breasts. Feet missing. Very much worn.
18773 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief. Nude female figure, full face with hands raised on either side of her head holding weapons(?): a long cloak falls behind the body. Complete down to the knees.
18728 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief. Female figure, full face with long sleeves and heavily flounced skirt, standing and holding with each hand in front of her breast a dumb-bell shaped object.
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.
18751 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief, upper part of. Grotesque figure with small head, upward arms and very large body wearing kaukanes. [drawing 1:1]
18827 (none) 1935,0112.64 (none) Terracotta relief, part of. Nude female figure standing full face: the left hand in front of breast, right arm by side and the hand holding a spouted pot. Heavy necklace, flat cap.
18853 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief, fragment. Woman standing, full face, wearing heavy cape and coat with long hanging cuffs: her hands clasped in front. Broken away below the waist.
18771 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief, fragment. Upper part of male figure, bearded advancing right: left hand held out in front, right arm by side: wears cuirass (?) and girdle. (apparently clubbing an enemy).
18789 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief, fragment. Head, shoulders and left arm of a bearded mail figure advancing right. High relief and coarse modelling.

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