In 1922, the British archaeologist Leonard Woolley (later knighted as Sir Leonard Woolley) excavated what is believed to be the first royal cemetery, at Ur in ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). There, Woolley and his team uncovered some 1,800 graves, which dated back as far as 2600 BC. Of these graves, 16 were actually elaborate tombs containing several rooms with spectacular artifacts. Quite notably, the tombs also included the remains of household servants and some prominent members of the ancient court.