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Memories of Ur

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2014

M. E. L. Mallowan
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Extract

Leonard Woolley directed the dig at Ur for twelve seasons which began in 1922 and ended in 1934. During that time he had many assistants on his staff which only once amounted to more than five in all, an astonishingly small number for the control of a labour force which often consisted of between 200 and 250 men who were unearthing not only substantial architectural remains, but also large numbers of small objects—about 20,000 of them were entered in the Expedition's catalogue. Woolley himself served on every one of those twelve expeditions and only his quickness and prodigious industry, supported by a well-trained family of Syrian foremen from Jerablus, enabled him to carry through tasks for which the more elaborately organised expeditions of today would require at least three times the number of supervisors. It is my privilege to have served Woolley for six years—1925–1930—longer than any other of his assistants, and it has therefore fallen to me on this occasion to recall memories of the man and the kind of life we led at Ur. I must also mention, very briefly, some aspects of the work at Ur, which are now the subject of active investigation and controversy, as well as others which are in danger of being forgotten, but still offer tempting rewards for research.

Type
Research Article
Information
IRAQ , Volume 22 , Issue 1-2: Ur in Retrospect. In Memory of Sir C. Leonard Woolley , Spring-Autumn 1960 , pp. 1 - 19
Copyright
Copyright © The British Institute for the Study of Iraq 1960 

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References

1 Later each in succession became Professor of Ancient Semitic Languages and Civilisations in the University of London.

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8 Reproduced as centre-piece design in the Memorial dish which has been dedicated to Woolley's memory.

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* Architect.

page 17 note † Epigraphist.

page 17 note ‡ General Assistant.

page 17 note * Ready, awaiting funds for publication.