The Ur Digitization Project: examination of the metals from an Akkadian tomb at Ur: Engaging Conservation: collaboration across disciplines

The Ur Digitization Project is a joint initiative by the Penn Museum and the British Museum to digitize archival and collection material at these institutions from Sir Leonard Woolley's excavations at Ur, Iraq. The goal of the project is to reunite the excavation data so that it can be accessed through a single online database. The collaborative team includes archaeologists, Assyriologists, other researchers, and conservators. One of the products of this project is the in-depth examination of material finds, through photography, condition assessment, conservation treatment, and the collection of new data. As questions have arisen, specialists in archaeometallurgy, archaeobotany, and ceramics have been consulted. This combined with the examination of the field notes and photos has led to a deeper understanding of the objects and their contexts. This paper focuses on one assemblage: the objects from an Akkadian grave PG 1422 in the Penn Museum collection. The recent re-examination of the previous publications, field notes, and photos is presented. In addition, the project has led to new research on metals from the tomb through x-radiography, pXRF analysis, and examination under magnification. The conservation treatment of a copper alloy hoard from the tomb is discussed and how the treatment has led to a reinterpretation of the group. The input from other specialists at the Museum is also shown. The resulting picture of the tomb is compared to a similar one from Nippur, placing it within the larger context of late Akkadian funerary practices.