Who We Are

The Ur Archaeology Project was formed to investigate an ancient settlement in southern Iraq, the birthplace of civilization. It combines up-to-date British practice with the excellent local knowledge of Iraqi experts. The directors worked in Iraq up until the later years of Saddam’s rule, when operating conditions finally became impossible, and are delighted to be back.

Our institutional backing comes from Iraq’s State Board for Antiquities and Heritage, the British Institute for the Study of Iraq, and the University of Manchester.

Members of our team have extensive experience in British archaeology, and most have also worked in Middle Eastern countries, and so are familiar with the conditions and materials we are dealing with.

Experts in environmental studies are drawn from the Universities of Newcastle and Oxford as well as Manchester, giving us access to a wealth of experience in collection, analysis and interpretation.

Field-work at our chosen site, Tell Khaiber, was carried out annually each spring from 2013 to 2107, followed by post-excavation, research and publication work over the rest of the year. The final report is now in preparation, and the team also has a new fieldwork project at Alexander’s city of Charax Spasinou