Ziggurat Terrace | ZT
| Context Title: | Ziggurat Terrace | ZT |
| Context Name (Publication): | Ziggurat Terrace |
| Context Name (Excavation): | ZT |
| Context Description: | The excavation area abbreviation ZT stands for Ziggurat Terrace. It was used for any portion of the terrace on which the ziggurat stood, though other more specific abbreviations were also used. For example, the abbreviation PDW refers to the northern side of the terrace, west of the Great Nannar Courtyard (PD), and HD refers to the southern part of the terrace. Early references using the abbreviation ZT refer specifically to excavations along the terrace retaining wall itself. Later references, however, mention specific areas on top the terrace such as the so-called 'boat shrine.' The abbreviation also refers to deep clearing of the terrace fill, particularly on the north side in later excavation seasons, though the abbreviation Zig.31 was most often used for this. Woolley uncovered large areas of the retaining wall that supported the platform known as the ziggurat terrace. He found that it was decorated with large wall cones. These cones bore an inscription of Urnamma but there is evidence that the terrace in some form existed in the Early Dynastic period as well. The Urnamma retaining wall was slanted to support the terrace, was 1.7 meters high, 34 meters wide, and was decorated with 5-meter-wide buttresses about 4 meters apart. The inscribed cones dedicate the terrace to the moon god, Nanna, and show that it was called e-temen-ni-gur, which translates as, "house, foundation platform clad in terror." (Woolley read this e-temen-ni-il). |
| Season Number: | 02: 1923-1924 |
| Season Number: | 03: 1924-1925 |
| Season Number: | 05: 1926-1927 |
| Season Number: | 10: 1931-1932 |
| Season Number: | 11: 1932-1933 |
Files
| Object | U Number | Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) | Museum Number (BM Registration Number) | Museum Number (UPM B-number) | Description (Catalog Card) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 2567 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay label. With a name: Mar-tam-me? [drawing] |
| 773 | (none) | 1923,1110.120 | (none) | Clay model of animal intestines? of powdery poorly baked clay; afterwards accidentally burnt and damaged. Like U but in worse condition. | |
| 772 | (none) | 1923,1110.121 | (none) | Clay model of animal intestines? Roughly made out of crumbly and lightly baked creamish clay. [drawing] | |
| 18297 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay nail? Of painted Obaid ware. The top is broken and seems to have been cup shaped. [drawing] |
| 2642 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay pot. Drab clay. Type drawing in album. Type CXXXI. =P.68 [drawing] |
| 895 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay pot. Green clay, wheelmade, broken. Roughly wheelmarked over the top half of the pot. Type XLVIII but the rim is not flat but curves outwards. =P97 [drawing] |
| 2538 | 29-174-12 | (none) | (none) | Clay Pot. Pinkish drab ware. Found with U.2558 A+B. Type CXX. =P.121. Type drawing in album. | |
| 2632 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay pot. Pinkish drab ware: wheel made. Type. CXXVII. [drawing] |
| 17651 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay roundel, a label = on the face, part of a cylinder impression, geometrical design. [drawing 1:1] |
| 18253 | 33-35-189 | (none) | (none) | Clay seal impression. Archaic. Broken and incomplete. A naked man fighting, two heraldically crossed animals: a crouched bull and a seated goddess. | |
| 18310 | 33-35-260 | (none) | (none) | Clay seal impression. In a rectangular frame a guilloche, the strands made up of 3 narrow bands at one end, remains of an animal scene. | |
| 18311 | 33-35-261 | (none) | (none) | Clay seal impression. Long strip of clay on which a very fair impression. A standing figure (?): before him a small figure fallen backwards (?): behind him two dwarflike figure in violent action (?) = above a guilloche: beyond them, two rampant beasts heraldically crossed (?) | |
| 18325 | 33-35-262 | (none) | (none) | Clay seal impression. Men and animals fighting. [Note on back of card reads Check in Catalog of Vol. IV, was there, but has been removed. The note is signed [illegible], and dated 1936.] | |
| 3000 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay sealing. With seal impression. III Ur Dynasty |
| 3001 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay sealing. With seal impression. III Ur Dynasty. |
| 2819 | (none) | 1927,1003.148 | (none) | Clay sickle. Greenish drab model: prehistoric, with cutting edge and ends of blade painted black. [drawing 1:1] | |
| 3006 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet (much damaged). Comptability. Persian Period (Cambyses). In text: Ruin of Ziggurat(2) |
| 3003 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet . Account of monty. III Ur Dynasty. |
| 2810 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Baked. Fragment. IIIrd Ur Dynasty. 4 Shekels 10 grams of silver the sag-il of the female weavers (e-sal-us) through (pi?) ma-ash-gi-um. H.C. |
| 2724 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Dated: 26th of Ezen Nin-a-zu. Period of Larsa Dynasty ? Text: List of proper names (pay list?) |
| 2580 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Fragment. School exercise - List of signs. c. BC 2100 |
| 2579 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Fragment. School exercise - List of signs: Gish: wood object. c. BC 2100 |
| 2556 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Inscribed. Fragment of Syllabary. 21 lines. End of one column of obverse signs: DI. TAK. A.DIR.NE.LAL.GUB? KUL. ES. BE. BAT. UG. IG. IG. IG. DA. TUM? AL? IB. BA. SIG. 21 lines. |
| 2557 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Letter Unto Nabu-sag-ga, so speaks?. x his brother: Na-dug son of Ma-kam(?) ?unto the 5 brothers, ?son of Makam, ? ki-ma son of the calker (Ad-kib), he has brought Neo-Babylonian Period? 10 lines writing. H.C. |
| 2695 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Pillow shaped. Roughly moulded, unbaked 3 finger print at the back. Dated on Cambyses king of Babylon king of the whole land. (10th year?) |
| Media | Media Title | Title | Label | Author | Omeka Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v4_p218 | Ur_Notes_v4_p218 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v4_p121 | Ur_Notes_v4_p121 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p219 | Ur_Notes_v2_p219 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p215 | Ur_Notes_v2_p215 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p214 | Ur_Notes_v2_p214 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p213 | Ur_Notes_v2_p213 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p212 | Ur_Notes_v2_p212 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p211 | Ur_Notes_v2_p211 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p160 | Ur_Notes_v2_p160 | (none) | |
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0099 | GN0099 | (none) | |
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0098 | GN0098 | (none) | |
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0097 | GN0097 | (none) | |
| Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods | Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods | 1955 | Woolley, L. | (none) |
| Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings | Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings | 1939 | Woolley Leonard | (none) |
| UPM Field Photo numbers | UPM Field Photo numbers | (none) | (none) | (none) |
- 15 Media
Sibling Locations
AH Site | AH - City Wall | CLW - DP - Dublalmah | LL - EH Site | EH - Ehursag | HT - EM Site | EM - Enunmah | TTB | ES - ESB - FH - Giparu | KP - Great Nanna Courtyard | PD - Harbor Temple - House 34/1 - House 34/2 - House Site - Kassite Fort - KPS Site | KPS - LT - LW - Mausoleum Site | BC - Neo-Babylonian Housing | NH - NNCF - NTB - P/103 - Palace of Bel-Shalti-Nannar | AD - Pit F - Royal Cemetery | PG - SM - Temenos Wall | TW - TTC - XNCF
Child Locations
Courtyard BB - Ningal Temple | HD - PDW - Room FF - Room GG - Room SW 2 - Ziggurat
Share
Context
Ur > Ziggurat Terrace | ZT
References
Woolley, L. . (1955) Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods, Oxford: Oxford University Press.