8557

Description (Catalog Card): Limestone plaque. Fragment of, with sculptured scene in relief. The plaque is 027 wide and was probably a square: there are holes at the bottom corners and there was a whole in the centre, its edge coming 013 from the base line. Only the lower part of the panel was found and the upper fractures run aslant downwards from the central hole so that the upper corners of the lower scene are missing. There were 3 registers: the top most is wholly missing: of the two side scenes flanking the central hole there remain only, on each side, the feet of a human figure: the lower scene is largely intact and in very good condition. Scene: an empty chariot drawn by 4 lions and escorted by 3 men. One man in front guides the lions: figure preserved from the waist downwards. The lions are preserved all except their heads: the bodies and legs are shown in outline one behind the other: they advance right and the drawing shows a good idea of strain. The chariot is 2-wheeled, only one wheel shown, a solid wood and wheel made of 3 pieces -riveted- clamped together, with rim tyre and decorated axle-head. The yoke is high and curved, and has, rising above it, a ring for the reins, which pass across to the back of the chariot, and are held by a walking attendant. Under the spring of the yoke are tied 2 spears. Over the chariot is spread a spotted object, probably a leopard's skin, most of it inside the car whose sides are left visible -- in front of the car rises a high peak to which -are- is attached what may be a quiver full of arrows. The attendant behind the car holds the reins and carries a spear or goad: he wears a beard and long hair or wig, and a kaunakes skirt: the face is bird-like. The man behind him is similarly dressed: head and shoulders missing: both hands are raised in front to grasp of pole which seems to rest on his shoulder and support an object hanging behind his back, perhaps a jar or water-skin(?) Remarkable piece of archaic relief. Broken and mended. Thickness 00253     
Find Context (Catalog Card): found loose in soil TTE a little NW of the circular plano-convex brick pavement but at a lower level, in the tomb stratum but fairly high in it, on the slope of the original mound.     
Material (Catalog Card): Limestone4     
Measurement (Catalog Card): L 027 thickness 25     
[1] Iconography tagged by Penn Museum research team.
[2] Technique tagged by Penn Museum research team.
[3] Woolley's description
[4] Material as described by Woolley

Locations: 8557 Export: JSON - XML - CSV

Location Context Title Context Description Description (Modern)
TTE TTE is shorthand for Trial Trench E, one of two initial trenches dug in season 5 to extend TTA from season 1. Woolley dug TTE and TTD at right angles to each other in order to search for graves in what he believed was a potentially vast cemetery. These trenches were never mapped and no aerial photos show them, as by the time of the 1930 photograph the trial trenches had been so extended that most of the Royal Cemetery area was exposed. Fortunately, Woolley's field records allow us to reconstruct its direction and extents. He states that TTE extended southwest to the south gate of the Neo-Babylonian temenos wall. This would make it about 85 meters in length, and though he does not tell us its width it is likely that it was around 4 meters, the same as the measurable trial trenches A, B, and C. Although Woolley reports that he dug "two long trenches running diagonally across the site from the head of the old trench" only TTD can actually have begun at the northern end of TTA. TTE extends at a right angle to TTD, but it does so 8 meters from the northeast corner of TTA. In order to place TTE accurately, other information has been used from field notes and publications. These show that TTE struck PG580 but did not completely reveal it. In fact, Woolley began to dig part of PG580 from the side of the trial trench because he had cut through it without recognizing its full importance. He had to leave this particular grave at the end of the season and return to it in season 6. TTE also hit the stone roofing of PG777 but left it intact. PG580 and PG777 were mapped and show the direction and general placement of TTE. TTE almost immediately began revealing graves, some of them relatively rich in gold jewelry. It is probably for this reason that Woolley did not continue TTD to any great depth but chose instead to focus on TTE. In fact, he later began extending TTE into new trenches along the same line (TTF and TTG). He assigned numbers to each grave as it was uncovered, preceded by the abbreviation PG (Private Grave). The initial sequence, PG1-PG226 were all located within TTE. The sequence then began to share with TTF and eventually with TTG. Unfortunately, none of the first 579 graves were ever mapped within the length of their trial trenches. (none)
  • 1 Location

Media: 8557 Export: JSON - XML - CSV

Media Media Title Title Label Author Omeka Label
Ur Excavations II; The Royal Cemetery Ur Excavations II; The Royal Cemetery 1934 Woolley, Leonard (none)
British Museum Photo Negatives British Museum Photo Negatives (none) (none) (none)
UPM Field Photo numbers UPM Field Photo numbers (none) (none) (none)
Woolley's Catalog Cards Woolley's Catalog Cards Card -- BM ID:194 Box:38 Page:262 Card -- BM ID:194 Box:38 Page:262 (none)
Woolley's Catalog Cards Woolley's Catalog Cards Card -- BM ID:194 Box:38 Page:263 Card -- BM ID:194 Box:38 Page:263 (none)
Woolley's Catalog Cards Woolley's Catalog Cards Card -- BM ID:194 Box:38 Page:264 Card -- BM ID:194 Box:38 Page:264 (none)
  • 6 Media

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Context

Ur >> Royal Cemetery | PG >> TTE

References

Woolley, Leonard. (1934) Ur Excavations II; The Royal Cemetery, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

British Museum Photo Negatives, .

UPM Field Photo numbers, .

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