Transcript The Royal Graves at Ur

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 graves16 ‘royal’ tombs were
of particular interest
• Loss of informationdiscarded 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 compelor convincing enough to induce- people to
sacrifice themselves on behalf of the
collective” –Dickson
Different Opinions
Wooley
Dickson
•Victims were willing to
be sacrificed out of
respect, loyalty, and
devotion to the
“primary individual”
• Graves were a ‘public
transcript’ executed in a
public theater of cruelty
•Grave Complex at Ur
is a neutral ‘snapshot’
of ancient life.
• Rulers had to establish
and maintain authority and
divine nature
• Cites examples from a
variety of time periods and
regions
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
thank you