The "Ram in the Thicket" is one of the most unusual works unearthed in the Royal Cemetery at Ur, the mid-3rd millennium B.C. city in Mesopotamia.

The so-called "Ram" (it's actually a goat) has long been the subject of curiosity by museum-goers and scholars. What is it? How was it constructed? How did the excavator, Sir Leonard Woolley, piece it together after it had been crushed under the weight of the earth for thousands of years? Some of these questions were answered as the "Ram" underwent new conservation work, almost 70 years after its initial discovery and reconstruction.

[For excellent coverage of the Royal Cemetery at Ur, order the vol. 40 no. 2 issue of Expedition Magazine. You'll get lavishly illustrated articles by leading experts on its excavation and treasures, on Mesopotamian music and writing, and on present-day Iraqi life, along with the Museum's restoration of the "Ram in the Thicket."]

The "Ram in the Thicket" is one of a pair of statues (the other is in the British Museum) depicting a goat standing in front of a tree, discovered in the Great Death Pit of PG 1237 during the 1928 - 29 season.

Woolley named it the "Ram in the Thicket" in reference to the Biblical story of Abraham, although he acknowledged the fanciful nature of the name and recognized the animal as a goat [Quiz Clue!]. In nature, goats can be seen climbing and eating in trees. The statue is an extraordinary example of a piece constructed of composite materials. Gold, silver, shell, lapis lazuli, and colored stone are all used to create a form that is striking and lively.

The two "Rams" were found close together in the west corner of the large pit that held the bodies of 68 elaborately dressed women and 6 men. Both statues were found crushed but the differences in the states of preservation aided the reconstruction of both.

Because of the delicate state of the statue when found, Woolley poured wax over the pieces, and used waxed muslin to hold them together as they were lifted out of the earth. Woolley describes how a good deal of the wax had to be retained in the restoration of the piece and that copper wires, plastic wood, and cork were also used for reconstructing various parts such as the legs, body, and branches.

In 1930, the recently restored "Ram" in the Thicket came to the University of Pennsylvania Museum, where it has been enjoyed by countless visitors. It was removed from display and taken to the conservation labs of the Museum in July, 1997, and was put under the supervision of conservator Tamsen Fuller. The aims of the present conservation were to stabilize the "Ram" and prepare it for travel and exhibition. The accuracy of Woolley's reconstruction was also investigated, especially with regard to the placement of the front hooves in relation to the tree branches and the curvature of the back. Possible changes in these features were anticipated, but before any new reconstruction of the "Ram" took place, documentation and deconstruction was necessary.