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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 17609 | (none) | 1932,0010.8 | (none) | Fragment of celt. Schist. [drawing 1:1] |
| 17149 | (none) | 1930,1213.467 | (none) | Clay bowl. Large, with flat base and straight somewhat everted sides. Al 'Obaid ware with a band of decoration in black round the rim and just above the base broken and incomplete, but a considerable fragment. Type aU.51 [Al 'Obaid typology?] [drawing] | |
| 8837B | (none) | 1928,1009.9 | (none) | Clay cylinder. Fragments giving bottom half of the 2 columns ? dedication to Sin-Nannar Style of Nebuchonosor. H.C.71. |
| 8473 | (none) | 1928,1009.471 | (none) | Terracotta head of female Upper right-hand side of head missing Hair falls down side of head in long tresses Pronounced chin, straight nose and slight ridge in middle of forehead Hellenistic style? [drawing] 1:1 sketch | |
| 6742 | (none) | 1928,1009.2 | (none) | Diorite door-socket. To nannar, king of Ur, dEnlilla-mishag, patesi of Niffer (the ? has restored?) E. H.C. |
| 7921 | (none) | 1928,1009.143 | (none) | Bird. Miniature. Frit. Two holes pierced for eyes and one in each wing. |
| 2618 | (none) | 1927,1003.95 | (none) | Copper ingot. Well preserved but uninscribed. [drawing 1:2] | |
| 3026 | (none) | 1927,1003.91 | (none) | Bronze implement. Genus unknown : both ends flattened. In text: Neo-Babylonian period (10) and Fig. | |
| 3340 | (none) | 1927,1003.79 | (none) | Half-bead mould. Limestone, for bead with scarab design. In text: Neo-Babylonian period (14). [Additional note on back regarding dinner plans] [drawing 1:1] | |
| 2807 | (none) | 1927,1003.78 | (none) | Fragment of polished vase. Black obsidian. [drawing 1:1] |
| 3279 | (none) | 1927,1003.77 | (none) | Fragment of stone vase. White obsidian finely polished. |
| 3244 | (none) | 1927,1003.7 | (none) | Gudea Foundation Tablet. Soapstone. To dNindar, the priest king, his king, Gudea, patesi of Lagash has built his beloved house, E-lal-tum (House where honey is brought), his KI-AB-DI-KI H.C. |
| 3079 | (none) | 1927,1003.67 | (none) | Polished celt. Of dark green stone. [drawing 1:1] |
| 3295 | (none) | 1927,1003.65 | (none) | Stone crescent. Pink marble, bored for insertion of standard pole. Sketch 1:2/ in text: Neo-Babylonian period (13) in Cat. [drawing 1:2] |
| 3112 | (none) | 1927,1003.42 | (none) | Cone of Warad-Sin. Fragment. Variation of inscription: SAKI p.212 B. |
| 3031 | (none) | 1927,1003.4 | (none) | Door-socket of Bur-Sin. Blue stone. Same inscription U.295 (Photo 24) To Nin-gal, his lady Bur-Sin mighty hero king of Ur, king of the 4 regions of the world has built her beloved house, Gi(g)-par azag for his life he has dedicated. |
| 2637 | (none) | 1927,1003.39 | (none) | Clay cone. Fragment of stem. Half of column II(?) Date ?? King of Larsa. Text: (x--) babbar Ab (ancient?) of E-Babbar / Fix destiny / decisions / --- / army of Larsa / may? / its food prosper / its good? / its harvester.. / be prosperous? H.C. |
| 2576 | (none) | 1927,1003.35 | (none) | Clay cone of Ibi-Sin. Fragment. -About BC 2190. Text: "dIbi-ilSin, god of the "country, (powerful) king, king (of Ur) "king (of Sumer and Akkad)? "- 6 or 7 lines missing - two last lines "illegible." H.C. |
| 2769 | (none) | 1927,1003.32 | (none) | Clay cone fragment. King of Larsa? Last lines of Column I -e-bar-bar-ra sul dUtu sa(g) azag gza-a. H.C. |
| 2755B | (none) | 1927,1003.31 | (none) | Cone of Nu-ur Adad. Fragment. "To Nannar, crown of heaven, the ..., Eldest son of Enlil, Nuur." (Adad) the mighty hero, who takes care of Ur." |
| 3115 | (none) | 1927,1003.271 | (none) | Sinidinnam Brick (18 lines). Has mark [reference double crescent drawing] The mighty hero who takes care of Ur king of Larsa, who restores the rites of Ur of Eridu. Ga-nun-mah from ancient days the previous kings had restored . On the [word erased] of Nannar the sublime king the sanctuary ( ) For the life of... and for my life I did build. [drawing] |
| 3299B | (none) | 1927,1003.269 | (none) | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E As-an-bu the shrine of Enlil H.C. |
| 2669 | (none) | 1927,1003.267 | (none) | Brick of Silli-Adad. Fragment. Text: To nannar, his king. Si-li dAdad caretaker of Nippur, patesi of Ur, Larsa, Lagash, and the land ( )-al-lakia (the E)temen-ni-il?. Silli-Adad of Larsa predecessor of Arad Sin about BC 2168 (Th.D) H.C. |
| 2672 | (none) | 1927,1003.264 | (none) | Obsidian arrowhead (?) Roughly chipped. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2806B | (none) | 1927,1003.261 | (none) | Small cones. Gypsum compound? (A) lacks part of head and is broken at side. (B) lacks point. [drawing 1:1] |
| Media | Media Title | Title | Label | Author | Omeka Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 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) | |
| 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.