I.

STUDII

THE ROYAL CEMETERY AT UR AND EARLY WHEELS1

Elena Izbitser
The Ur excavations led by C. Leonard Woolley
revealed several types of remarkable evidence on
the existence of wheeled transport in the 3rd millennium BC: an image of a two-wheeled wagon2
on a stone plaque (fig. 1), representations of fourwheeled wagons on the War side of the mosaic
Standard (fig. 2), and the remains of actual fourwheeled wagons in two graves (fig. 3). Besides
being spectacular, these finds became one of the
main sources on construction of early wheeled vehicles, and wheels in particular. While a question
whether actual wagons were of exactly the same
type as that documented on representations has
been raised (Littauer, Crouwel 1979, 16), there is
no doubt that the wheels of actual wagons found
at Ur were constructed in the same way as depicted: tripartite, with the central plank being lentoid
in shape and two flanking crescents, where all
parts were held together with external bonding
slats (Smolian 1964, 4; Littauer, Crouwel 1979,
18). Indeed, this type of construction is shown on
the stone plaque and, with some variations, on
the wheels of several wagons of the Standard.

1
I want to thank Igor N. Anfimov, Dr. Pascal Butterlin, Dr.
Ivan I. Marchenko and Dr. Natalia Yu. Limberis for their kind
permission to use their materials in this publication.
2
The general term wagon is used here regardless of a vehicles function.

Tyragetia, s.n., vol. VII [XXII], nr. 1, 2013, 9-17.

Fig. 1. Fragment of a stone plaque. Ur

(after Woolley 1934, plate 181b).

The misconception that actual wheels were constructed in the way they are represented on the
objects arose from Woolleys assurances that he
discovered such wheels in two graves. But did he
observed such a construction in the impressions
in the soil? According to Woolley, the wheels in
PG 789 were of solid wood, apparently made up
of three pieces (Woolley 1934, 64); in PG 1232,
the wheel was made of three pieces of wood
distinguishable by the grain and there were faint
but unmistakable marks of the binding which had
held them together, three close-set vertical marks
on each side of the axle (Woolley 1934, 108).

Fig. 2. The War panel of the Standard. Ur

(after Woolley 1934, plate 92).

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I. Studii

Necropola regal de la Ur i construcia roilor antice

Rezumat
n baza analizei construciei roilor din necropola regal de la Ur fragmentul unei plci din piatr, Stindardul
mozaic, roile de la car din nmormntri , precum i a descoperirilor atestate la alte monumente arheologice,
autoarea ajunge la concluzia c, n Orientul Antic, roile tripartite cu partea central n form de lentil nu mai
erau utilizate ctre cumpna mileniilor IV-III a. Chr. n perioada cnd erau folosite deja roile tripartite cu centrul
rectangular, cele cu nucleul n form de lentil continuau s fie redate pe tampile i plci votive, copiind, astfel,
exemplarele mai vechi.
Roile de car de la cumpna mileniilor IV-III a. Chr., descoperite n mormintele tumulare din stepele ponto-caspice
aveau centrul de form rectangular, deci fiind din urmtoarea etap de evoluie. Avnd n vedere faptul c primele
roi de car constau dintr-un disc masiv de lemn, iar pentru trecerea la modele mai evoluate a fost necesar o
perioad ndelungat de timp, autoarea presupune c apariia roii n Orientul Antic trebuie datat cu o perioad
de timp mai timpurie, nu mai trziu de nceputul mileniului IV a. Chr.
Lista ilustraiilor:
Fig. 1. Fragment de lespede de piatr. Ur (dup Woolley 1934, plate 181b).
Fig. 2. Panelul Rzboiul din Stindardul mozaic de la Ur (dup Woolley 1934, plate 92).
Fig. 3. Amprente ale roilor de care din nmormntrile PG 789 (a-b) i PG 1232 (c). Ur (dup Woolley 1934, plate
33, 62).
Fig. 4. Imagine a carului pe Reconstituirea scenei funerare din mormntul PG 789 (dup Woolley 1934, plate 30).
Fig. 5. Imagine a carului pe registrul de sus al Stindardului.
Fig. 6. Imagini ale carelor pe registrul de jos al Stindardului (prima i a doua din stnga).
Fig. 7. Imagine a carului pe de jos al Stindardului (a treia din stnga).
Fig. 8. Roat, Susa (dup Littauer, Crouwel 1979, fig. 5).
Fig. 9. Roat, Mari (dup Butterlin, Margueron 2006, fig. 3).
Fig. 10. Imagini ale roilor (fragment de mozaic), Mari ( - dup Parrot 1971, fig. 10), (b-f - dup Parrot 1967, pl.
LXV/2462-2464; fig. 262/2465, 2598, 2466).
Fig. 11. Fragment de plac din piatr. Khafajeh (dup Boese 1971, Taf. VIII).
Fig. 12. Modele din lut ale unei roi. a-b - Tell Brak (dup Oates et al. 2001 488/36, 39), - Chagar Bazar (dup
Mallowan 1936, fig. 6/8); d - Tell Halawa A (dup Neufang, Pru 1994, Abb. 52/114).
a - d=4 cm; b - d=7,1 cm; c - d=3,5 cm; d - d=10,5 cm.
Fig. 13. Amprent de tampil cilindric. Ur (dup Amiet 1980, pl. 96/1260).
Fig. 14. Amprent de tampil cilindric. Ur (dup Amiet 1980, pl. 92/1216).
Fig. 15. Amprent de tampil cilindric. Mesopotamia (dup Amiet 1980, pl. 92/1215).
Fig. 16. Amprent de tampil cilindric (detaliu). Mesopotamia, perioada Akkadian (dup Littauer, Crouwel
1979, fig. 13).
Fig. 17. Schi a unui car dintr-o nmormntare a culturii Novotitarovsk, regiunea Kuban (dup 1986).
Fig. 18. Vestigiile carului dintr-o nmormntare a culturii Novotitarovsk, regiunea Kuban (din arhiva personal a
I.I. Marchenko i N.Yu. Limberis).

,
, ,
, ,
IV-III . ..
,
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IV-III . .., , , ..
. , ,
,
,
, IV . ..

16

E. Izbitser, The Royal Cemetery at Ur and early wheels

:
. 1. . ( Woolley 1934, plate 181b).
. 2. . ( Woolley 1934, plate 92).
. 3. PG 789 (a-b) PG 1232 (c), ( Woolley 1934, plate 33, 62).
. 4. PG 789 ( Woolley 1934, plate 30).
. 5. .
. 6. ( )
. 7. ( )
. 8. , ( Littauer, Crouwel 1979, fig. 5).
. 9. , ( Butterlin, Margueron 2006, fig. 3).
. 10. ( ), ( - Parrot 1971, fig. 10), (b-f - Parrot 1967, pl.
LXV/2462-2464; fig. 262/2465, 2598; 2466).
. 11. . ( Boese 1971, Taf. VIII).
. 12. : a-b - ( Oates et al. 2001, fig. 488/36, 39), c ( Mallowan 1936, fig. 6/8); d - ( Neufang, Pru 1994, Abb. 52/114).
a - =4 cm; b - =7,1 cm; c - =3,5 cm; d - =10,5 cm
. 13. . ( Amiet 1980, pl. 96/1260).
. 14. . ( Amiet 1980, pl. 92/1216).
. 15. . ( Amiet 1980, pl. 92/1215).
. 16. (). ( Littauer, Crouwel 1979, fig. 13).
. 17. , (
1986).
. 18. . ( ..
.. ).

12.08.2013
Dr. Elena Izbitser, Independent Scholar, 1920 77th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11214, USA, e-mail: eizbitser@gmail.com

17