Silver is a soft, white, lustrous metal.  It is highly malleable, and has a low melting point, making it easy to cast.  It can be produced as a by-product of copper, gold, lead, and zinc refining.  It can be highly polished, leading to a very reflective surface.  

Most of the silver found at Ur is in jewelry, but sometimes it is made into axes or mirrors.  These are found mainly in the royal tombs.  

Objects: Silver 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)
17911F (none) (none) (none) Group from one burial. (A) Gold frontlet. (B) 3 twisted gold hair ribbons [B and I-J], (C) 2 gold hair rings [C and K], spirally coiled with hollow lunate ends. (D) 2 necklaces [D and L], one of gold ribbed balls between agate lentoids, the other of flat agate lentoids, 1 flat barrel lapis lazuli, 2 carnelian bugles, 1 granite lentoid. 3 double conoid lapis lazuli, 1 flat barrel amber. (E) Shell cylinder seal. Obscured. (F) Silver spiral finger ring (G) [G and M] 2 silver bracelets (H) Silver pin, round with square tang
17911G (none) (none) (none) Group from one burial. (A) Gold frontlet. (B) 3 twisted gold hair ribbons [B and I-J], (C) 2 gold hair rings [C and K], spirally coiled with hollow lunate ends. (D) 2 necklaces [D and L], one of gold ribbed balls between agate lentoids, the other of flat agate lentoids, 1 flat barrel lapis lazuli, 2 carnelian bugles, 1 granite lentoid. 3 double conoid lapis lazuli, 1 flat barrel amber. (E) Shell cylinder seal. Obscured. (F) Silver spiral finger ring (G) 2 silver bracelets (H) Silver pin, round with square tang
17911H (none) (none) (none) Group from one burial. (A) Gold frontlet. (B) 3 twisted gold hair ribbons [B and I-J], (C) 2 gold hair rings [C and K], spirally coiled with hollow lunate ends. (D) 2 necklaces [D and L], one of gold ribbed balls between agate lentoids, the other of flat agate lentoids, 1 flat barrel lapis lazuli, 2 carnelian bugles, 1 granite lentoid. 3 double conoid lapis lazuli, 1 flat barrel amber. (E) Shell cylinder seal. Obscured. (F) Silver spiral finger ring (G) 2 silver bracelets (H) Silver pin, round with square tang
17912D (none) (none) (none) Group from one burial. (A) [A and J] 2 Gold frontlets. (B) [B and K]2 tubular gold bracelets (C) Gold earring, spirally coiled with lunate ends (D) [D and L] 2 silver bracelets, single wire (E) Cylinder seal, lapis lazuli, introductory scene, 2 standing figures and seated deity; crescent above god; (F) Necklace of gold balls between carnelian bugles, flat lentoid chalcedones, carnelian barrels, carnelian ball, agate lentoid, green chalcedone bugles. (G) Axe, type XVIII, [H-I] Copper objects [These are drawn on the field catalog card, but not assigned subdivisions by Woolley][drawing]
17917G (none) (none) (none) Burial group. (A) 3 twisted gold hair-ribbons [A, I and O]. (B) 2 gold frontlets [B and P]. (C) Pair of gold hair-rings, spirally coiled, lunated ends [C and Q]. (D) Tubular gold 4 spiral finger ring. (E) Necklace of gold flat diamonds, gold double conoids, carnelian lentoids, bugles and barrels and diamonds, agate barrels. (F) Necklace of gold balls, agate barrels, flat lentoid agate, carnelian bugles, etc. (G) 4 silver bracelets [G and R-T]. (H) Remains of 2 copper bases, from above grave. [H and U] [J-N are metal vessels with drawings but no descriptive text][drawing]
18120B (none) (none) (none) [A] Beads. Carnelian balls and rings and tubular steatite cylinders and date-shaped. Carnelian eliptical, calcite eliptical jasper (?) biconvex square, hematite pear pendant, flattened rough pebble pendant and a few large paste beads, much decayed also. [B] 1 very small gold lunate earring. [C-D] 2 small silver earrings and [drawing] [E-F] two plain silver rings.
18152 (none) (none) (none) [A] Beads. Carnelian tubular and date shaped, lapis date-shaped and discoid (variant) strung alternately: also 1 yellow stone discoid with them [B-C] 2 silver earring, both broken.
18166 32-40-451 (none) (none) Beads. Very small carnelians, date shaped, ring and double conoid, and one or two lapis they made a finger ring. Also 2 silver earrings thus, but broken [reference to drawing that has been excised from catalog card].
18256C (none) (none) (none) Group. [A] 1) Large earring (?) of base silver, a ring with 6 pendant grape clusters. [B] 2) Silver finger ring with flat bezel engraved thus [reference to drawing], roughly with figure of a dog. [C] 3) Copper ring with silver oval bezel, the design perished. [D-F] 4) A set of 3 copper rings once set with glass paste (or in two cases stones?)
18345B (none) (none) (none) [A and B] Two finger rings. [A] One copper, [B] one silver. Each with a flat bezel.
18943B (none) (none) (none) Group: (A) Gold earring, small lunate type. (B) Silver finger ring, plain wire hoop. (C) Silver hair ring, 2 coils of plain wire. (D) Gold twisted ribbon fillet, with hole at each end. (E) Beads: lapis diamonds and tubes, crystal rings, silver diamonds and balls and small blue glaze cylinders. (F) Copper pin, type 8. (G) Copper reticule.
18943C (none) (none) (none) Group: (A) Gold earring, small lunate type. (B) Silver finger ring, plain wire hoop. (C) Silver hair ring, 2 coils of plain wire. (D) Gold twisted ribbon fillet, with hole at each end. (E) Beads: lapis diamonds and tubes, crystal rings, silver diamonds and balls and small blue glaze cylinders. (F) Copper pin, type 8. (G) Copper reticule.
18943E (none) (none) (none) Group: (A) Gold earring, small lunate type. (B) Silver finger ring, plain wire hoop. (C) Silver hair ring, 2 coils of plain wire. (D) Gold twisted ribbon fillet, with hole at each end. (E) Beads: lapis diamonds and tubes, crystal rings, silver diamonds and balls and small blue glaze cylinders. (F) Copper pin, type 8. (G) Copper reticule.
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.
19195B (none) (none) (none) Group: (A) Pair of gold earrings, 3 hoops of spirally coiled gold wire.; (B) Silver earrings, a pair , similar to the gold; unusually well-reserved.; [B and D] (C) Beads. Lapis balls and ovals, small, with some carnelian rings, and some silver balls.
19195C (none) (none) (none) Group: (A) Pair of gold earrings, 3 hoops of spirally coiled gold wire.; (B) Silver earrings, a pair , similar to the gold; unusually well-reserved.; [B and D] (C) Beads. Lapis balls and ovals, small, with some carnelian rings, and some silver balls.
10586D.2 (none) (none) (none) Head Ornaments. A. Gold ribbon B. Wreath of gold leaves with beads of lapis & carnelian. C. Silver pin with 3 arms and rosette finials having fold. D. [.1-.2] Pair of large gold lunate earrings. E. Silver pin with lapis head. F. 1 silver wire spiral coil earring. G. Second silver pin with lapis head, H. Gold and lapis double conoid beads.
10457B (none) (none) B17298 Silver Bowls 4 [A-D] Oxidised together 3 of oval type with little knob handles on the long sides, one hemispherical. Type __ Photo __
10457C (none) (none) B17299 Silver Bowls 4 [A-D] Oxidised together 3 of oval type with little knob handles on the long sides, one hemispherical. Type __ Photo __
1092 (none) (none) (none) Not Assigned
1097 (none) (none) (none) Not Assigned
6639L (none) (none) B16398.3 Group of silver staves with wooden core inside A-Y.
6639M (none) (none) B16398.4 Group of silver staves with wooden core inside A-Y.
6639N (none) (none) B16398.5 Group of silver staves with wooden core inside A-Y.
6639O (none) (none) B16396C Group of silver staves with wooden core inside A-Y.

Related Terms

Copper Alloy - Electrum - Gold - Iron - Lead