Silver is a soft, white, lustrous metal.  It is highly malleable, and has a low melting point, making it easy to cast.  It can be produced as a by-product of copper, gold, lead, and zinc refining.  It can be highly polished, leading to a very reflective surface.  

Most of the silver found at Ur is in jewelry, but sometimes it is made into axes or mirrors.  These are found mainly in the royal tombs.  

Objects: Silver Export: JSON - XML - CSV

Object U Number Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) Museum Number (BM Registration Number) Museum Number (UPM B-number) Description (Catalog Card)
17911H (none) (none) (none) Group from one burial. (A) Gold frontlet. (B) 3 twisted gold hair ribbons [B and I-J], (C) 2 gold hair rings [C and K], spirally coiled with hollow lunate ends. (D) 2 necklaces [D and L], one of gold ribbed balls between agate lentoids, the other of flat agate lentoids, 1 flat barrel lapis lazuli, 2 carnelian bugles, 1 granite lentoid. 3 double conoid lapis lazuli, 1 flat barrel amber. (E) Shell cylinder seal. Obscured. (F) Silver spiral finger ring (G) 2 silver bracelets (H) Silver pin, round with square tang
17911G (none) (none) (none) Group from one burial. (A) Gold frontlet. (B) 3 twisted gold hair ribbons [B and I-J], (C) 2 gold hair rings [C and K], spirally coiled with hollow lunate ends. (D) 2 necklaces [D and L], one of gold ribbed balls between agate lentoids, the other of flat agate lentoids, 1 flat barrel lapis lazuli, 2 carnelian bugles, 1 granite lentoid. 3 double conoid lapis lazuli, 1 flat barrel amber. (E) Shell cylinder seal. Obscured. (F) Silver spiral finger ring (G) 2 silver bracelets (H) Silver pin, round with square tang
17911F (none) (none) (none) Group from one burial. (A) Gold frontlet. (B) 3 twisted gold hair ribbons [B and I-J], (C) 2 gold hair rings [C and K], spirally coiled with hollow lunate ends. (D) 2 necklaces [D and L], one of gold ribbed balls between agate lentoids, the other of flat agate lentoids, 1 flat barrel lapis lazuli, 2 carnelian bugles, 1 granite lentoid. 3 double conoid lapis lazuli, 1 flat barrel amber. (E) Shell cylinder seal. Obscured. (F) Silver spiral finger ring (G) [G and M] 2 silver bracelets (H) Silver pin, round with square tang
17901 (none) (none) (none) Pin. Silver. Type No. V. [Type] RC.1 [drawing 1:1]
17813N (none) (none) (none) Group. From one burial. (A) [A and K-L] 3 gold frontlets. (B) Twisted gold hair-ribbon. (C) [C and M] Two gold hair-rings, spirally coiled with lunate ends, with one of them [N] a silver ring. (D) Beads: a string of very small fluted gold balls and carnelian balls and one very thin lapis bugle with gold caps. (E) Beads: gold balls, agate, carnelian, marble and jasper; long bugles, flattened lentoids, disks and lentoids. (F) [F and O] Two gold bracelets, of thin gold bent over copper wire. (G) Silver bracelet, plain wire. (H) [H and I] Copper bracelets, 2, plain wire. (J) Copper axe, thus: [reference to drawing] a copy of the old type but not cast: hammered and the socket made by bending. Type S10. [drawing]
17813G (none) (none) (none) Group. From one burial. (A) [A and K-L] 3 gold frontlets. (B) Twisted gold hair-ribbon. (C) [C and M] Two gold hair-rings, spirally coiled with lunate ends, with one of them [N] a silver ring. (D) Beads: a string of very small fluted gold balls and carnelian balls and one very thin lapis bugle with gold caps. (E) Beads: gold balls, agate, carnelian, marble and jasper; long bugles, flattened lentoids, disks and lentoids. (F) [F and O] Two gold bracelets, of thin gold bent over copper wire. (G) Silver bracelet, plain wire. (H) [H and I] Copper bracelets, 2, plain wire. (J) Copper axe, thus: [reference to drawing] a copy of the old type but not cast: hammered and the socket made by bending. Type S10. [drawing]
17811C 32-40-234 (none) (none) Group. From one burial. (A) [A, E-I] Six gold earrings, small hollow lunate type, worn in sets of 3 in each earrings, small hollow lunate type, worn in sets of 3 in each ear. (B) Gold finger ring, thin metal with edges bent inwards to form a ribbed hoop. [drawing] (C) Beads: lapis diamonds, gold double conoids, silver disks, carnelian and steatite lentoids. (D) Cylinder seal, shell: hunter and lion and 2 columns of inscription.
17810D (none) (none) (none) Group. From a single burial. (A) [A, G-H] 3 gold frontlets, oval type with prolongations pierced for threads, but one broken and incomplete. [drawing] (B) Fillet of twisted gold ribbon. (C) [C and I] Gold earrings, a pair , small hollow lunate type. (D) One silver earring, same type. (E) Beads, gold balls, double conoids and diamonds (some balls fluted) carnelian and lapis diamonds, carnelian bugles and balls and barrels, lapis double conoids : order uncertain. (F) Copper dagger.
17806E 32-40-233 (none) (none) Groups: From one burial. (A) Gold fillet, of narrow thin ribbon, twisted. (B) [B.1-.2] A pair of gold earrings, each consisting of two complete earrings intertwined, of the small hollow lunate type: in each case, one earring is fatter than the other: D.'s 15mm and 13mm respectively. One hoop is broken. (C) Cylinder seal, lapis lazuli, standing, human figures roughly cut. (D) Gold finger ring, hollow tube pressed in along the periphery thus [drawing]. (E) Beads: gold and carnelian, lapis and silver diamonds: gold and carnelian barrels and double conoids; mixed types, large lentoids, bugles, balls and double conoids of carnelian, agate, lapis. For order see field notes.
17787C 32-40-229 (none) (none) Beads. 2 double conoid carnelian. 1 lentoid carnelian. 5 double conoid silver. 3 barrel agate. 31 flat lentoid agate. 1 flat lentoid steatite. Necklace of 17 agates, rectangular with vesical section. Necklace of 23 lentoid agates and 14 gold balls.
17787B (none) 1932,1008.119 (none) Beads. 2 double conoid carnelian. 1 lentoid carnelian. 5 double conoid silver. 3 barrel agate. 31 flat lentoid agate. 1 flat lentoid steatite. Necklace of 17 agates, rectangular with vesical section. Necklace of 23 lentoid agates and 14 gold balls.
17787A (none) 1932,1008.107 (none) Beads. 2 double conoid carnelian. 1 lentoid carnelian. 5 double conoid silver. 3 barrel agate. 31 flat lentoid agate. 1 flat lentoid steatite. Necklace of 17 agates, rectangular with vesical section. Necklace of 23 lentoid agates and 14 gold balls.
17429 (none) (none) (none) Gold roundel. With silver inlay. [drawing]
17421B (none) (none) (none) 2 signet rings. Silver. [A] One with circular bezel. [B] One with oval bezel.
17421A 31-43-212 (none) (none) 2 signet rings. Silver. [A] One with circular bezel. [B] One with oval bezel.
17420 (none) (none) (none) Beads. Silver balls and rings. 1 carnelian barrel. 1 agate barrel. 2 facetted amethysts.
17419C (none) (none) (none) [A-C] 3 finger rings. [A], [B] copper. [C] silver. [A] has a circular bezel. [B] has an oval bezel. [C] has a single whitish stone in a silver setting.
17416 (none) (none) (none) Beads. Silver balls. [additional notes on back of card, possibly to do with workers]
17415.2 (none) (none) (none) [.1-.2] Earrings. Silver. A pair. With circular pendants. [drawing 1:1]
17415.1 (none) 1931,1010.267 (none) [.1-.2] Earrings. Silver. A pair. With circular pendants. [drawing 1:1]
17366 (none) (none) (none) Finger ring. Silver. With oval bezel.
17087 (none) (none) (none) Finger ring. Silver. With circular bezel originally inset with a circular piece now missing [drawing 1:1]
17051 (none) (none) (none) Necklace. Amethyst [represented in drawing] four sided, lozange shaped in section carnelian. Double conoids and lentoids and diamonds. Silver ball beads. Glass paste rings, balls, discoids, barrels. Agate. Squares. Lapis lazuli flat lentoid with dragon (?) engraved amethyst scaraboid with fish (?) engraved. [drawing]
17044E 31-43-217 (none) (none) [A-D] 4 signet rings. [A-C] 3 plain finger rings [of] copper and [D] 1 plain silver ring. Signet rings have circular bezels.
17044A 31-43-216 (none) (none) [A-D] 4 signet rings. [A-C] 3 plain finger rings [of] copper and [D] 1 plain silver ring. Signet rings have circular bezels.

Related Terms

Copper Alloy - Electrum - Gold - Iron - Lead