Leonard Woolley

Leonard Woolley (1880-1960), British archaeologist best known for his work (1922-1929) excavating the ancient Sumerian city of Ur for the British Museum and Pennsylvania University Museum. The uncovering of the Royal Cemetery at Ur was one of the great excavations of the 20th century. The skill and care with which it was carried out made it possible to reconstruct much of the courtly life of Ur, and enabled the recovery and restoration of many delicate and exquisite objects (such as the famous Royal Standard of Ur), thereby revealing something of the skill and techniques of the ancient Sumerian craftsmen. Woolley was also outstanding in his approach to the interpretation of evidence, for example in his treatment of the remains, and reconstruction of, the Sumerian ziggurat. In addition to his scholarly excavation reports, he also wrote popular accounts of his work, including Ur of the Chaldees (first published in 1929), which helped to convey the excitement of archaeological discovery to the general public. Other sites he worked on include Al 'ubaid, Carchemish, Tell el-Amarna, and Alalakh.