Excavations from 1922 to 1934 were funded by the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania and led by the archaeologist Sir Charles Leonard Woolley. A total of about 1,850 burials were uncovered, including 16 that were described as "royal tombs" containing many valuable artifacts, including the Standard of Ur. Most of the royal tombs were dated to about 2600 BC. The finds included the unlooted tomb of a queen thought to be Queen Puabi—the name is known from a cylinder seal found in the tomb, although there were two other different and unnamed seals found in the tomb. Many other people had been buried with her, in a form of human sacrifice. Near the ziggurat were uncovered the temple E-nun-mah and buildings E-dub-lal-mah (built for a king), E-gi-par (residence of the high priestess) and E-hur-sag (a temple building). Outside the temple area, many houses used in everyday life were found. Excavations were also made below the royal tombs layer: a 3.5-metre-thick (11 ft) layer of alluvial clay covered the remains of earlier habitation, including pottery from the Ubaid period, the first stage of settlement in southern Mesopotamia. Woolley later wrote many articles and books about the discoveries. Woolley uncovered a series of burials. He referred to these findings as the "Death Pit" many servants were buried with the royals. He believed that these servants went to their deaths willingly. He and his wife and collogue Katherine theorized that these servants were given poisonous drinks and this was a mass suicide as a tribute to their rulers. However computerized tomography scans on some of the surviving skulls have showed signs that they were killed by blows to the head that could be from the spiked end of a copper axe. One of Woolley's assistants on the site was the archaeologist Max Mallowan. The discoveries at the site reached the headlines in mainstream media in the world with the discoveries of the Royal Tombs. As a result, the ruins of the ancient city attracted many visitors. One of these visitors was the already famous Agatha Christie, who as a result of this visit ended up marrying Max Mallowan.
Woolley uncovered a series of burials. He referred to these findings as the "Death Pit" many servants were buried with the royals. He believed that these servants went to their deaths willingly. He and his wife and collogue Katherine theorized that these servants were given poisonous drinks and this was a mass suicide as a tribute to their rulers. However computerized tomography scans on some of the surviving skulls have showed signs that they were killed by blows to the head that could be from the spiked end of a copper axe.[1]
- ^ McCorriston, Joy; Field, Joy (2019). World Prehistory and the Anthropocene and introduction to Human History. New York: Thames & Hudson. pp. 286–287. ISBN 978-0-500-843185.