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      

Objects: Ziggurat Terrace | ZT Export: JSON - XML - CSV

Object U Number Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) Museum Number (BM Registration Number) Museum Number (UPM B-number) Description (Catalog Card)
2665 (none) 1935,0113.51 (none) Figurine fragment. (Terra-cotta) Part of leg and foot, wearing boot with toes protruding. Sketch 1/1 [drawing 1:1]
2523 (none) 1935,0113.50 (none) Figurine. Light drab clay. Pig. Hand modeled, very rough. [drawing]
17658 (none) 1935,0113.407 (none) Copper dagger blade. With 3 rivets : tip of tang with 3rd rivet broken. Type not RC. Cf knife RC 4.
18314A (none) 1933,1013.99 (none) Inlay. 2 fragments of, fitting together. Grey steatite. The hair of a large figure, carved in horizontal ripples with the single hairs denoted by roughly engraved wavy lines. [drawing]
18338 (none) 1933,1013.93 (none) Wig of dark steatite, for a small male figure the wig is complete. The hair is parted down the middle, then confined by three broad braided tresses wound roudn the head: a fringe comes over the forehead: the back hair falls in a plaited mass over the shoulders.
18251 (none) 1933,1013.90 (none) Fragment of inlay. Shell. On one side, plain grooving, part of a hair pattern (probably for the flounce of a skirt): on the other side, very faint, a human figure, from the neck downwards, wearing a kaunakes and advancing right. Top missing. The inlay has been reused and the figure design seems to be the earlier.
18346 (none) 1933,1013.78 (none) Cylinder seal of dark purple glazed glazed frit. Two trees (?) and pomegranates (?)
18529C (none) 1933,1013.4 (none) [A-H] Terracotta roundels. 8 in all with convex sides, both carved with inscription. In catalog.
18529B (none) 1933,1013.3 (none) [A-H] Terracotta roundels. 8 in all with convex sides, both carved with inscription. In catalog.
17981 (none) 1933,1013.175 (none) Cones. Clay. [drawing 1:1]
18585B (none) 1933,1013.123 (none) [A-I] A set of weights. Weights in grains [A] (1) Diorite, pierced at one end. 413 grs. [B] (2) Hematite . 130grs. [C] (3) Hematite 64grs. [D] (4) Hematite 65grs. [E] (5) Steatite 37grs. [F] (6) Steatite 7grs. [G] (7) Steatite 10grs. [H] (8) Hematite 78grs [H]. [I] (9) Doubtful weight: white calcite shaped as a plano-convex bead 315grs. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card]
18628 (none) 1933,1013.10 (none) Copper statuette of a woman standing with hands roun in the attitude of prayer: her hair is done in a heavy shignon and she wears a long flounced dress. In catalog. [drawing]
18232 (none) 1933,1013.1 (none) Stone vase. Fragments of stalagmitic calcite with deeply colored veining. Type. On it, part of an inscription.
17627A (none) 1932,1008.8 (none) [A-B] Copper cylinders. A pair. Solid metal, entirely covered with inscription in vertical lines (not the same size). Name of NUR-ADAD.
17842C (none) 1932,1008.6 (none) Beads. A mixed lot. 192 carnelian bugles. 56 carnelian double conoids, lentoids and barrels. 11 large carnelian double conoids and facetted lentoids. 421 carnelian rings. 81 larger carnelian rings. 41 glazed frit balls. 43 lapis lazuli, rings, bugles, ovoids, small mixed beads, apatite (?) quartzite, shell, agate and crystal.
17625E (none) 1932,1008.35 (none) Inlay. Shell: [A-F] Six fragments of white shell cut in strips 38mm wide and decorated with 3 horizontal rows of 'mountain' design: the top and bottom rows are merely outlined with a double incised line which was filled in with black: the middle row is champleve and filled in with bright red paste of which a good deal is preserved. [drawing]
17625D (none) 1932,1008.34 (none) Inlay. Shell: [A-F] Six fragments of white shell cut in strips 38mm wide and decorated with 3 horizontal rows of 'mountain' design: the top and bottom rows are merely outlined with a double incised line which was filled in with black: the middle row is champleve and filled in with bright red paste of which a good deal is preserved. [drawing]
17855 (none) 1932,1008.254 (none) Terracotta head of a ram? Crudely hand modelled. Broken off at the shoulders. Kassite.
17819A (none) 1932,1008.237 (none) Terracotta figurine. Nude seated woman suckling a child.
17894 (none) 1932,1008.190 (none) Terracotta figurine. Fragment of painted Al Obaid ware. The face, the arms and the lower part of the body are missing (details are suggested). [drawing 1:1]
17842F (none) 1932,1008.132 (none) Beads. A mixed lot. 192 carnelian bugles. 56 carnelian double conoids, lentoids and barrels. 11 large carnelian double conoids and facetted lentoids. 421 carnelian rings. 81 larger carnelian rings. 41 glazed frit balls. 43 lapis lazuli, rings, bugles, ovoids, small mixed beads, apatite (?) quartzite, shell, agate and crystal.
17842E (none) 1932,1008.124 (none) Beads. A mixed lot. 192 carnelian bugles. 56 carnelian double conoids, lentoids and barrels. 11 large carnelian double conoids and facetted lentoids. 421 carnelian rings. 81 larger carnelian rings. 41 glazed frit balls. 43 lapis lazuli, rings, bugles, ovoids, small mixed beads, apatite (?) quartzite, shell, agate and crystal.
17842D (none) 1932,1008.122 (none) Beads. A mixed lot. 192 carnelian bugles. 56 carnelian double conoids, lentoids and barrels. 11 large carnelian double conoids and facetted lentoids. 421 carnelian rings. 81 larger carnelian rings. 41 glazed frit balls. 43 lapis lazuli, rings, bugles, ovoids, small mixed beads, apatite (?) quartzite, shell, agate and crystal.
17842B (none) 1932,1008.118 (none) Beads. A mixed lot. 192 carnelian bugles. 56 carnelian double conoids, lentoids and barrels. 11 large carnelian double conoids and facetted lentoids. 421 carnelian rings. 81 larger carnelian rings. 41 glazed frit balls. 43 lapis lazuli, rings, bugles, ovoids, small mixed beads, apatite (?) quartzite, shell, agate and crystal.
17842A (none) 1932,1008.117 (none) Beads. A mixed lot. 192 carnelian bugles. 56 carnelian double conoids, lentoids and barrels. 11 large carnelian double conoids and facetted lentoids. 421 carnelian rings. 81 larger carnelian rings. 41 glazed frit balls. 43 lapis lazuli, rings, bugles, ovoids, small mixed beads, apatite (?) quartzite, shell, agate and crystal.
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Media: Ziggurat Terrace | ZT Export: JSON - XML - CSV

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