Ur, Iraq expedition records
PU-Mu. 1018
- Creator(s)
-
Gordon, G. B. (George Byron), 1870-1927
Jayne, Horace Howard Furness, 1898-1975
Legrain, Leon, 1878-1962
- Date(s)
-
[bulk] Bulk, 1922-1934
[inclusive] 1920-1976
- Call Number
- PU-Mu. 1018
- Physical Description
- Extent: 3.85 Linear feet
- Language(s)
-
eng
Sir Leonard Woolley directed the excavations at Ur in southern Iraq from 1922 to 1934 for the Joint Expedition of the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania Museum. As part of this involvement, the University of Pennsylvania Museum sent Leon Legrain, Curator of the Babylonian Section, during the 1924–1925 and 1925–1926 seasons. Most of the records of the Ur expedition are located at the British Museum. The Museum Archives hold only a few records. The records consist of general correspondence, indexes and catalogs, publications, and Legrain research. Where possible, a chronological order was imposed on the Near East records.
Sir Leonard Woolley directed the excavations at Ur in southern Iraq from 1922 to 1934 for the Joint Expedition of the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania Museum. As part of this involvement, the University of Pennsylvania Museum sent Leon Legrain, Curator of the Babylonian Section, as a cuneiformist during the 1924–1925 and 1925–1926 seasons. Most of the records of the Ur expedition are located at the British Museum. The Museum Archives hold only a few records.
The records consist of general correspondence, indexes and catalogs, publications, and Legrain research. Most of the correspondence appears to be letters and reports exchanged between the Director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum (1922–1927, G. B. Gordon; 1928, J. McHugh, Secretary; and 1929–1933 H. H. F. Jayne) and F. Kenyon, the Director of the British Museum, and Woolley. Indexes include a field photograph catalog covering the twelve seasons of work as well as typewritten copy of the field object catalog (with Museum object numbers annotated in red ink). The publications series holds correspondence, notes, drafts, photographs, and manuscripts pertaining to the volumes of the publications of the Ur Excavations (Volumes III, IV, VI, VII, and X). The Archives holds other records relating to Ur which may be unpublished, these have been placed in a separate series: Legrain Research. The Near East Section curatorial records and the Directors' correspondence (Jayne to British Museum, 1925–1940) contain related material.
Where possible, a chronological order was imposed on the Near East records. Photographs were retained with the documents when they directly referred to content. Otherwise, the photographic collections hold material related to the excavations, artifacts, and travel photographs (see Standard Size Print collection). Oversize material is housed in the Map Cases and the Print Cabinet depending on size.
Publication Information: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives, August 2009
Finding Aid Author:
Use Restrictions: Although many items from the archives are in the public domain, copyright may be retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. The user is fully responsible for compliance with relevant copyright law.
Corporate Name(s)
- University of Pennsylvania. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Form(s)/Genre(s)
- Card catalogs
- Correspondence
Geographic Name(s)
- Tall al-Muqayyar (deserted settlement)
Personal Name(s)
- Gordon, G. B. (George Byron), 1870-1927
- Jayne, Horace Howard Furness, 1898-1975
- Legrain, Leon, 1878-1962
Subject(s)
- Archaeological expeditions
- Excavations (Archaeology)
Collections Inventory
General Correspondence
Scope and Contents note
Letters, reports from the field, financial statements, cablegrams, press releases and expense notebook. Arranged by type and then chronologically.
| Correspondence 1919-1921, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. I 1922, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. I 1923, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. II 1923-1924, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. II 1924, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. III 1924, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. III 1925, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. IV 1925, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. IV 1926, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. V 1926, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. V 1927, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. VI 1927, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Vice-President, University of Pennsylvania 1928, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence Exp. VI 1928, Jan.-June | Box 2 |
| Correspondence Exp. VII 1928, | Box 2 |
| Correspondence Exp. VII 1929, | Box 2 |
| Correspondence Exp. VIII 1929, | Box 2 |
| Correspondence Exp. VIII 1930, | Box 2 |
| Correspondence Exp. IX 1930, | Box 2 |
| Correspondence Exp. IX 1931, | Box 2 |
| Correspondence Exp. X 1931, | Box 2 |
| Correspondence Exp. X 1932, | Box 2 |
| Correspondence Exp. XI 1932, | Box 2 |
| Correspondence Exp. XI 1933, | Box 2 |
| Correspondence Exp. XII 1933, | Box 2 |
| Correspondence-Iraq Director of Antiquities, Bulk, 1936 | Box 2 |
| Correspondence, resumes and press releases, Bulk, 1922 | Box 2 |
| Accounts— Legrain's Expense Notebook, Ur Expedition, 1924-1926 | Box 2 |
Indexes and Catalogues (bulk: Bulk, 1922-1934) (inclusive: 1922-1976)
Scope and Contents note
Photo catalogue, field photo catalogue and index, register of inscribed materials, drawings of lyre, field object catalogue. Arranged by type and thereunder numerically.
| Ur Field Catalog, | Box 3 |
| Ur Nos. U. 1 – U. 1054, 1922-1923 | Box 3 |
| Ur II Nos. U. 1,101 – U. 1788, 1923-1924 | Box 3 |
| Ur III Nos. U. 2501 – U. 3373, 1924-1925 | Box 3 |
| Ur IV Nos. U. 6001 – U. 7143, 1925-1926 | Box 3 |
| Ur V Nos. U. 7500 – U. 9360, 1926-1927 | Box 3 |
| Ur VI Nos. U. 9501 – U. 11231, 1927-1928 | Box 3 |
| Ur VII Nos. U. 11400 – U. 13108, 1928-1929 | Box 3 |
| Ur VIII Nos. U. 13500 – U. 15817, 1929-1930 | Box 3 |
| Ur IX Nos. U. 16001 – U. 17448, 1930-1931 | Box 3 |
| Ur X Nos. U. 17601 – U. 18207, 1931-1932 | Box 3 |
| Ur XI Nos. U. 18207 – U. 18723, 1932-1933 | Box 3 |
| Ur XII Nos. U. 18724 – U. 20094, 1933-1934 | Box 3 |
| Field Photographs Catalogue, 1922-1934 | Box 4 |
| Field Photographs Catalogue by L. Legrain, 1922-1934 | Box 4 |
| Photograph Catalogues— Miscellaneous, | Box 4 |
| Lists of Divisions and related documents, objects presented to other institutions, | Box 4 |
| Ur tomb artifacts, | Box 4 |
| List of Ur Bronzes Out for Cleaning, 1933 | Box 4 |
| Ur Register of Inscribed Materials, 1976 | Box 4 |
| Drawings of Lyre, 1976 | Box 4 |
| Site Abbreviations, | Box 4 |
Publications (bulk: Bulk, 1922-1956) (inclusive: 1922-1976)
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence, notes, drafts, photographs, plans and drawings, catalogues, and manuscripts. Arranged by volume number and thereunder by type.
| Correspondence Ur Dispute, Bulk, 1923-1935 | Box 4 |
| General Correspondence, Bulk, 1945-1948 | Box 4 |
| Ur Expedition I-X plans and drawings, 1922-1934 | Box 4 |
| Ur Text, Vol. II-Translation (1 of 2), | Box 4 |
| Ur Texts Vol. III-Translation (2 of 2), | Box 5 |
| Ur Texts Vol. III-Concordance (1 of 2), | Box 5 |
| Ur Texts Vol. III-Concordance (2 of 2), | Box 5 |
| Ur Texts Vol. III-Notes, Index, Catalogue, | Box 5 |
| Ur Excavations Vol. III-Archaic Seal Impressions and Photos, | Box 5 |
| Ur Excavations Vol. III-Archaic Seal Impressions, Proto-Elamite Signs, | Box 5 |
| Ur Excavations Vol. III-Seal Impressions, notes on chronology, | Box 5 |
| Ur Excavations Vol. X-Seal Impressions, 1931-1932 | Box 5 |
| Ur Excavations Vol. X-Seal Cylinders, | Box 6 |
| Ur Excavation, Vol. X-Seal Cylinders, | Box 6 |
| Correspondence -Woolley- Ur Excavations Vol. IV, 1953-1956 | Box 6 |
| Ur Excavations Vol. IV Plates (1 of 2), | Box 6 |
| Ur Excavations Vol. IV Plates (2 of 2), | Box 6 |
| Correspondence Ur VI-VII, 1953-1972 | Box 6 |
| Ur Excavations Vol. VI- Plate Drawings, | Box 6 |
| Ur Excavations Vol. VI- Plates, | Box 6 |
Legrain Research
Scope and Contents note
Object Cards, some with photographs and sketches, classification, catalogue, and manuscripts. Arranged by subject
| Legrain Research Ur Terra-Cottas, catalogue, | Box 7 |
| Legrain Research- Ur Terra-Cottas Classification, | Box 7 |
| Legrain Research-Ur Historical Inscriptions Translations (1 of 2), 1919 | Box 7 |
| Legrain Research-Ur Historical Inscriptions Translations (2 of 2), 1919-1926 | Box 7 |
| Object Cards— Terra Cottas, | Box 8 |
| Object Cards— Terra Cottas-tablets and notes, | Box 9 |