Charles Woolley Leading English archaeologist of the first half of the twentieth century Date of Birth: 17.04.1880 Country: Great Britain

1. Charles Woolley: Leading English Archaeologist of the 20th Century
2. Excavations at Tell el-Amarna and Ur
3. Significance of Woolley's Discoveries
4. Excavations at Alalakh

Charles Woolley: Leading English Archaeologist of the 20th Century

Charles Woolley was a renowned English archaeologist who conducted excavations in various ancient civilizations including Sumer, Ancient Egypt, Syria, Nubia, and ancient Anatolia. He graduated from the University of Oxford and participated in British archaeological expeditions in Nubia and Egypt from 1907 to 1912. He also took part in excavations at the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates in 1912-1914 and 1919.

Excavations at Tell el-Amarna and Ur

In 1921-1922, Woolley led the excavations at the former capital of Pharaoh Akhenaten, Amarna, near Tell el-Amarna. Starting from 1922, he directed the work of the British-American archaeological expedition in Ur, which continued until 1934. These excavations led to the discovery of several important monuments from the First and Third Dynasties of Ur, as well as the time of Sargon the Akkadian. The findings included an early archive of temple administration, royal tombs from the First Dynasty of Ur, several Sumerian temples, an archive of royal administration from the Third Dynasty of Ur, and numerous inscriptions, including the Standard of Ur.

Significance of Woolley's Discoveries

Woolley's most significant discovery in Ur was the unearthing of sixteen royal burials from the First Dynasty of Ur between 1927 and 1928. These tombs contained numerous human sacrifices, which drew great attention from the scientific community. Thanks to Woolley's archaeological work in Ur, the history and daily life of the largest Sumerian city-state were reconstructed. His writings also initiated a systematic study of Sumerian society. However, it should be noted that Woolley somewhat exaggerated the importance of Sumerian civilization throughout the Near East, even considering it the precursor to Egyptian civilization, and idealized the social structure of early Mesopotamian states.

Excavations at Alalakh

Before and after World War II, Woolley conducted excavations at the ruins of Alalakh in Turkey from 1936 to 1939 and 1946 to 1949.