A Critical Reexamination of the Early Dynastic “Royal Tomb” Architecture from Ur - Studies at the University of Pennsylvania have convinced me of a persistent error in C. L. Woolley's reconstructions of the “Royal Tombs” of Ur. Specifically, I contend that his publications frequently present as single tombs what are in fact multiple, unrelated, burials. Uncritical acceptance of Woolley’s reconstructions by subsequent researchers has colored our understanding of Sumerian burial rituals and led to the current confusion about the internal chronology of the Royal Cemetery. By creating an architectural typology of the so-called “Royal Tombs” and reconstructing the site stratigraphy from Woolley’s publications and field notes, I present the reader with a seriation of tomb types. Reaction to this work has been very positive, and the paper was accepted in 1998 by the Department of Anthropology in fulfillment of my Master of Arts degree. A short excerpt from this paper was published as part of the catalog for the University of Pennsylvania Museum’s Treasures from the Royal Cemetery of Ur exhibition.
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