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ΕλληνικάHISTORICAL PERSON · UR · PG 800/800B
Queen Puabi
Puabi: the name that survived next to the body
Her seal names her Puabi and grants her the title ereš; does not mention a husband.
Museum documentation · free public access, no account required.
Reconstruction · Declared visual hypothesis
AI-recreated portrait of Reina Puabi. The clothing is supported by the historical context of the card; the face, age depicted, coloration, and unpreserved details are interpretive. It is neither an authentic photograph nor a scientific facial reconstruction.
Tracekeepers
History and context
In chamber PG 800 of the Royal Cemetery of Ur, a woman was buried with an extraordinary array of gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian, agate and silver. Three seals remained next to his arm; one retains her name, Puabi—Pu-abum—, and the title ereš, translated by Penn as "queen."
The absence of a husband in the seal has allowed us to propose that he could exercise authority in his own right. It is an important historical inference, not a biographical certainty. Nor do we know his face: the museum's image reconstructs the body's clothing and materials, not an identified portrait.
Evidence and interpretation
Name, title, body and ornaments in situ are documented. The PG chamber 800B and the associated well must be distinguished; that they formed a single ceremony is disputed. The will and manner of death of the companions are also not uniformly demonstrated.
AI-recreated portrait of Reina Puabi. The clothing is supported by the historical context of the card; the face, age depicted, coloration, and unpreserved details are interpretive. It is neither an authentic photograph nor a scientific facial reconstruction.
Catalogue facts
- Date
- Archaic Dynastic IIIA · ca. 2600–2450 BCE
- Location
- PG 800/800B · Royal Cemetery of Ur, Iraq
- Identification
- Cylindrical seal: Puabi/Pu-abum · title ereš
- Representation
- Visual reconstruction · there is no safe portrait
- Caution
- The possibility that he ruled in his own right is an inference
A closer look
About 1 min to read · 1 section. Further reading and sources · free access. Editorial review recorded: .
The distribution of the jewelry tells another story
Penn's record distinguishes ornaments on the body and a set of beads and pendants apparently found on a table next to the head. It also documents ten rings and rows of beads that ran down from the shoulders to the waist. This distribution turns the grave into something more than an inventory of wealth: it allows us to ask which items were worn and which were deposited next to it. The proximity of two sets does not mean that they form a single garment or jewel.
- Museum · Penn Museum · Queen Puabi’s HeaddressAccess recorded: .
Reference images and provenance
No verifiable entrance photograph is preserved for this representation. You may consult its documentation, but we would not present its face as an exact reconstruction.
Additional visual documentation
A cited publication does not establish which image was used to create the character.
Location and territory
LOCATED SITE
Ur · IraqMarker for Tell el-Muqayyar and its necropolis.Where it is held
Penn Museum
Component of the group · Documented collection
The grave goods is distributed among institutions; this link documents the components preserved at Penn.
The holding institution is documented; public display may change. Check its official record before visiting.
Sources and references
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