The Royal Graves at Ur

“Public Transcripts Expressed in Theatres of Cruelty: the Royal Graves at Ur in Mesopotamia”

by D. Bruce Dickson

Excavations

• 1920s; led by Sir Leonard Wooley

• Sponsored by British Museum and UPenn

• Excavation of thousands of graves- 16 ‘royal’ tombs were of particular interest

• Loss of information- discarded finds

PG 789

• Stone and mud brick construction

• Evidence of grave robbing

• 63 adult remains, 2 wheeled vehicles & animals that carried them, rich grave goods, vessels, food, clothing, musical instruments

PG 800

• No signs of looting• Limestone and mud

brick construction• Next to PG 789

(contemporary?)• Cylinder seals with

names Pu-abi and A-bara-gi

What Do These Graves Tell Us?

“Ur was socially stratified, occupationally specialized and possessed of a political organization powerful enough to compel- or convincing enough to induce- people to sacrifice themselves on behalf of the collective” –Dickson

Different OpinionsDickson

• Graves were a ‘public transcript’ executed in a public theater of cruelty

• Rulers had to establish and maintain authority and divine nature

• Cites examples from a variety of time periods and regions

Wooley

•Victims were willing to be sacrificed out of respect, loyalty, and devotion to the “primary individual”

•Grave Complex at Ur is a neutral ‘snapshot’ of ancient life.

thank you

Sources:

“Public Transcripts Expressed in Theatres of Cruelty: the Royal Graves at Ur in Mesopotamia” D. Bruce Dickson

The British Museum website (images)

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk