From K. Kris Hirst,
Your Guide to Archaeology.
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Definition: The archaeological ruins of the Mesopotamian capital city of Ur, also known as Tell al-Muqayyar, is located near the modern town of Nasiriya in southern Iraq, on a now-abandoned channel of the Euphrates river. The earliest occupations at Ur date to the Ubaid period of the late 6th millennium BC. By about 3000 BC, Ur covered a total area of 37 acres including early temple sites. Ur reached its maximum size of 54 acres during the Early Dynastic Period of the early 3rd millennium, when Ur was one of the most important capitals of the Sumerian civilization. Ur continued as a minor capital for Sumer and succeeding civilizations, but during the 4th century BC, the Euphrates changed course, and the site was abandoned.

Archaeologists associated with Ur included J.E. Taylor, H.C. Rawlinson, Reginald Campbell Thompson, and Leonard C. Woolley. Woolley's investigations included the excavation of the graves of Queen Puabi and King Meskalamdug.

Sources

See the article on the University of Pennsylvania's Royal Treasures of Ur for further information.

This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.

Also Known As: Tell al-Muqayyar