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)
19026C (none) (none) (none) [A] Beads: a mixed lot: 1 gold double conoid; 2 lapis ditto; 2 carnelian barrels; smaller paste double conoids; paste and lapis rings or small balls. [B-C] Also two silver earrings.
19444C (none) (none) (none) [A] Beads. Lapis valls and double conoids : silver ditto, and a few carnelian rings. [A-B] also 2 silver earrings of spirally twisted wire.
8754B (none) (none) (none) [A-B] Pair of silver (base) earrings. Thickish copper coiled about itself and forming intricate loops. cf. ink drawing.
9622B (none) (none) (none) [A-B] Pair of earrings. Silver and copper. 4 earrings in all; one silver and one copper attached together on each ear. [drawing]
10820G (none) (none) (none) Tomb Group. A. [A and G] 2 silver earrings, 2 1/2 coils. 1-broken and part missing. B. [B and H] 2 cockle shells with green paint (both broken) C. Broken silver finger ring, 4 strands of wire, the 2 middle strands spiral. Part missing. D. Large shell of the type used to serve as a lamp. Badly broken. E. Few silver double conoids, a few lapis and remains of glazed frit ring beads. F. A copper pin with a copper ball head. Badly broken. Type V.
10833D (none) (none) (none) Tomb Group A. Beads: lapis double conoids. B. [B and D] 2 silver earrings, wire spiral coils C. Copper pin with bent stem and plain ball head (broken) Type VI B?
11931B (none) (none) (none) [A] Pin. Copper with lapis ball head. (with this, [B-C] 2 silver finger rings: see box U.11930)
11931C (none) (none) (none) [A] Pin. Copper with lapis ball head. (with this, [B-C] 2 silver finger rings: see box U.11930)
8039B (none) (none) (none) [A-B] Pair of silver hair rings(?) or earrings. Usual lunate type. [drawing]
10584L (none) (none) B16989 Head Ornaments. (A) Quantity of gold ribbon., (B) Gold wreath, leaf pendants with double string of lapis and carnelian beads. (C) [.1-.2] Pair of large gold lunate earrings. (D)Silver pin with lapis head. (E) Silver hair ornament, 3-pronged, with rosette finials of gold, lapis and shell. (F) Double conoid beads, gold and lapis (see field notes) (G) Beads, lapis and silver (H) [H and L] 2 silver earrings, plain wire spirals [I] [Not assigned] (J)Cockleshells containing paint. (K) Silver pin, rounded head
10585G (none) (none) (none) Head Ornaments. A. Gold ribbon B. Wreath of gold leaves and lapis and carnelian beads C. Silver pin with 3 arms and rosettes finials having gold, lapis, and shell petals. D. [D.1-.2] Pair of large gold lunate earrings. E. [E and G-H] Three silver wire spiral coil earrings. F. Silver pin with lapis head. The beads are missing and must be in some other of the groups.
10585H (none) (none) (none) Head Ornaments. A. Gold ribbon B. Wreath of gold leaves and lapis and carnelian beads C. Silver pin with 3 arms and rosettes finials having gold, lapis, and shell petals. D. [D.1-.2] Pair of large gold lunate earrings. E. [E and G-H] Three silver wire spiral coil earrings. F. Silver pin with lapis head. The beads are missing and must be in some other of the groups.
8227B (none) (none) (none) [A-B] Silver earrings. A pair, each made of 2 1/2 spiral turns of silver wire.
8338B (none) (none) (none) [A-B] Silver earrings. A pair. One broken. Ordinary type with broadened ends. [drawing]
8524B (none) (none) (none) Silver diadem Broken It appears to be formed of 2 separate parts: (A) A strip of thin silver plate (apparently plain) 0022 wide and about 018 long tapering to curved ends wherein are attachment holes: and (B) A strip of thin silver 005 wide twisted with a spiral coil so as to act as a spring: this appeared to be attached to (A) and to go round the back of the head.
15407D (none) (none) (none) Grouped: [A] (1) Two strings of small lapis lazuli and silver lentoids. [B] (2) Three strings lapis lazuli ovoids. [C] (3) About 27 strings of lapis lazuli and silver double conoids. The majority of the beads appeared to have three strings. [D-M] (4) Five pairs of silver earrings of 2 1/2 coils each. [N] (5) Fragment of a copper spindle whorl.
15407E (none) (none) (none) Grouped: [A] (1) Two strings of small lapis lazuli and silver lentoids. [B] (2) Three strings lapis lazuli ovoids. [C] (3) About 27 strings of lapis lazuli and silver double conoids. The majority of the beads appeared to have three strings. [D-M] (4) Five pairs of silver earrings of 2 1/2 coils each. [N] (5) Fragment of a copper spindle whorl.
15407F (none) (none) (none) Grouped: [A] (1) Two strings of small lapis lazuli and silver lentoids. [B] (2) Three strings lapis lazuli ovoids. [C] (3) About 27 strings of lapis lazuli and silver double conoids. The majority of the beads appeared to have three strings. [D-M] (4) Five pairs of silver earrings of 2 1/2 coils each. [N] (5) Fragment of a copper spindle whorl.
15407G (none) (none) (none) Grouped: [A] (1) Two strings of small lapis lazuli and silver lentoids. [B] (2) Three strings lapis lazuli ovoids. [C] (3) About 27 strings of lapis lazuli and silver double conoids. The majority of the beads appeared to have three strings. [D-M] (4) Five pairs of silver earrings of 2 1/2 coils each. [N] (5) Fragment of a copper spindle whorl.
15407H (none) (none) (none) Grouped: [A] (1) Two strings of small lapis lazuli and silver lentoids. [B] (2) Three strings lapis lazuli ovoids. [C] (3) About 27 strings of lapis lazuli and silver double conoids. The majority of the beads appeared to have three strings. [D-M] (4) Five pairs of silver earrings of 2 1/2 coils each. [N] (5) Fragment of a copper spindle whorl.
15407I (none) (none) (none) Grouped: [A] (1) Two strings of small lapis lazuli and silver lentoids. [B] (2) Three strings lapis lazuli ovoids. [C] (3) About 27 strings of lapis lazuli and silver double conoids. The majority of the beads appeared to have three strings. [D-M] (4) Five pairs of silver earrings of 2 1/2 coils each. [N] (5) Fragment of a copper spindle whorl.
15407J (none) (none) (none) Grouped: [A] (1) Two strings of small lapis lazuli and silver lentoids. [B] (2) Three strings lapis lazuli ovoids. [C] (3) About 27 strings of lapis lazuli and silver double conoids. The majority of the beads appeared to have three strings. [D-M] (4) Five pairs of silver earrings of 2 1/2 coils each. [N] (5) Fragment of a copper spindle whorl.
15407K (none) (none) (none) Grouped: [A] (1) Two strings of small lapis lazuli and silver lentoids. [B] (2) Three strings lapis lazuli ovoids. [C] (3) About 27 strings of lapis lazuli and silver double conoids. The majority of the beads appeared to have three strings. [D-M] (4) Five pairs of silver earrings of 2 1/2 coils each. [N] (5) Fragment of a copper spindle whorl.
15407L (none) (none) (none) Grouped: [A] (1) Two strings of small lapis lazuli and silver lentoids. [B] (2) Three strings lapis lazuli ovoids. [C] (3) About 27 strings of lapis lazuli and silver double conoids. The majority of the beads appeared to have three strings. [D-M] (4) Five pairs of silver earrings of 2 1/2 coils each. [N] (5) Fragment of a copper spindle whorl.
15407M (none) (none) (none) Grouped: [A] (1) Two strings of small lapis lazuli and silver lentoids. [B] (2) Three strings lapis lazuli ovoids. [C] (3) About 27 strings of lapis lazuli and silver double conoids. The majority of the beads appeared to have three strings. [D-M] (4) Five pairs of silver earrings of 2 1/2 coils each. [N] (5) Fragment of a copper spindle whorl.

Related Terms

Copper Alloy - Electrum - Gold - Iron - Lead