Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur.

• Author: Dunham, Sally
• Position: Review

Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur. Edited by RICHARD L. ZETTLER and LEE HORNE. Philadelphia: UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY, 1998. Pp. xv + 195, maps, illustrations, plates. $49.95 (cloth); S34.95 (paper).

This handsomely produced volume is a catalog of two hundred and twenty-five objects from the Royal Tombs of Ur that make up a traveling exhibition to be shown at eight venues throughout this country from 1998 to 2001. Four introductory chapters by Richard Zettler give illustrated overviews of the Early Dynastic Period in southern Mesopotamia; the history of exploration at the site of Ur; the Royal Cemetery itself and the questions it raises; and a more detailed discussion of two important tombs, PG789 and PG800, from which many objects in the exhibit came. These chapters also include three supplementary essays: a short description of the ancient Sumerian King List and its relation to Mesopotamian history (p. 3); an essay by Steve Tinney on views of death and burial as expressed in the ancient texts (pp. 26-28); and a re-evaluation by Paul Zimmerman of the relation between tombs PG789 and PG800 (p. 39). The catalog itself begins with an introductory essay by Donald Hansen on the art of the Royal Tombs and dis cussion of some of the most elaborate objects in the exhibit, such as the "Ram Caught in a Thicket" (cat. no. 8) or the "Great Lyre with Bull's Head" (car, no. 3). Following this, the rest of the objects are presented in different chapters according to type and/or material: Cylinder Seals (Holly Pittman); Jewelry (Holly Pittman); Metal Vessels (Jill Weber and Richard Zettler); Shell Vessels and Containers (Kevin Danti and Richard Zettler); Stone Vessels (Richard Zettler); and Tools and Weapons (Jill Weber and Richard Zettler). Each chapter has an introductory essay followed by concise entries for the individual objects. Every object in the exhibit is illustrated in a good-quality color photograph and there are additional pertinent narrative and comparative illustrations.

This volume is an excellent introduction to the Royal Cemetery of Ur and its place in Mesopotamian history and art and archaeology. Zettler's introductory chapters give a clear idea not only of what is known about the ancient period but also of the sensation that Woolley's discoveries caused in his own times (the 1920s) and of his achievement in overcoming the many difficulties encountered in excavating, recording, and recovering...