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) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 11231 | (none) | (none) | B16909 | Obsidian Nail. Miniature. Square in section. T Shaped top. [drawing 1:1] |
2761A | (none) | (none) | B16676 | Ur-Nammu Stela. Stone stele fragments. Fine limestone: six fragments, [following text is struck through] giving horizontal division of stele. Upper two bear lower part of skirt & two finely modelled feet & conventional river of Ea, seated on throne. Lower register divine headdress, spear (?) & tree. Whole of fine workmanship. Upper register fragg. A. & C.: lower B. [end strike-through] For details see following page. In text: Ur-Nammu Stela and Kassite period 4. (A) Division between registers, one foot of top register figure and top of tree in lower register. (B) do. With part of throne top register & god's headdress in lower. (C) 2nd foot & part of skirt & throne of top register fig. (D) part of throne top register. (E) Lower part of headdress of god (2nd reg.) & hair. (F) Rest of god from 2nd reg. seated on throne before conventional tree in pot into which king is pouring libation (this connects with U.3264A) 3rd reg. upper parts of 3 figg: minor deity introducing king who bears mason's tools supported behind by priest or slave. | |
2761B | (none) | (none) | B16676 | Ur-Nammu Stela. Stone stele fragments. Fine limestone: six fragments, [following text is struck through] giving horizontal division of stele. Upper two bear lower part of skirt & two finely modelled feet & conventional river of Ea, seated on throne. Lower register divine headdress, spear (?) & tree. Whole of fine workmanship. Upper register fragg. A. & C.: lower B. [end strike-through] For details see following page. In text: Ur-Nammu Stela and Kassite period 4. (A) Division between registers, one foot of top register figure and top of tree in lower register. (B) do. With part of throne top register & god's headdress in lower. (C) 2nd foot & part of skirt & throne of top register fig. (D) part of throne top register. (E) Lower part of headdress of god (2nd reg.) & hair. (F) Rest of god from 2nd reg. seated on throne before conventional tree in pot into which king is pouring libation (this connects with U.3264A) 3rd reg. upper parts of 3 figg: minor deity introducing king who bears mason's tools supported behind by priest or slave. | |
2728 | (none) | (none) | B16562 | Broken brick with graphic plan or game? P.35. In text: 3rd Dynasty Terrace (13) and Fig. [drawing 1:2] | |
![]() | 3148A | (none) | (none) | B16559 | Brick of Sinbalatsu igbi. Fragment. H.C. |
![]() | 3148 | (none) | (none) | B16559 | (none) |
![]() | 3299C | (none) | (none) | B16558 | Brick of Sin balalsu iqbi 2 stamps: face and side. Same text as U.3250. Except var. 11.6-7: "E As-an-bur, the shrine of Enlil." |
3297F | (none) | (none) | B16556B | Sinbalalsuiqbi 1/2 brick 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U.3250 Variant U.6-7: "E-ashur the place of his royalty" | |
3297D | (none) | (none) | B16556A | Sinbalalsuiqbi 1/2 brick 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U. 3250. Variant U. 6-7: E-ashur "The place of his royalty." | |
2569A | (none) | (none) | B16542 | Baked brick. Stamp for En-an-na-tum, the beloved priest of Nannar, high-priest of Nannar, in Ur, son of Ishme Dagan, king of Sumer, and Akkad. (6 lines) Ishme-Dagan, king of Isin about BC 2100. H.C. Brick (28) x 18 1/2 x 8 from cruciform building. Brick 28 x 28 x 8 cm. Stamp 76 x 45mm. H.C. | |
2566D | (none) | (none) | B16540 | Baked brick of ISHME-DAGAN. Fragment. Ishme-Dagan, who takes care of Nippur, who exalts the head of Ur, the .... of Eridu, the lord of Uruk, the powerful king, (king of Isin, king of Sumer and Akkad, the beloved husband of the goddess Ninni Only lines 1 to 7 are preserved. c. BC 2110. | |
2566C | (none) | (none) | B16539 | Baked brick of ISHME-DAGAN. Fragment. Ishme-Dagan, who takes care of Nippur, who exalts the head of Ur, the .... of Eridu, the lord of Uruk, the powerful king, (king of Isin, king of Sumer and Akkad, the beloved husband of the goddess Ninni Only lines 1 to 7 are preserved. c. BC 2110. | |
2570 | (none) | (none) | B16496, B16496 | Baked brick. Broken. Drawing resembles cuneiform sign for wall tomb [drawing 1:2] | |
3301 | (none) | (none) | B16490, B16490 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps: side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E Kisib-gal E-kur-ra(?) the shrine of dNin-sig (=Ea) H.C. | |
3300 | (none) | (none) | B16489, B16489 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps: side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E Ad-gi-gu Shrine dNusku. H.C. | |
3299A | (none) | (none) | B16488 | 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. | |
3298A | (none) | (none) | B16487 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E-sag-dug-ga the shrine of his Enlil-ship (=Lordship) H.C. | |
3297A | (none) | (none) | B16486 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E-dAsur (the place of his royalty) H.C. | |
3296 | (none) | (none) | B16485, B16485 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps: side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E An-ki-azag-ga where stands dAzag-sud. H.C. | |
3326 | (none) | (none) | B16484, B16484 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11.6-7: E-ab (sal?)-ban-da the shrine of dSu-zi-an-na he built. Side and face text. H.C. | |
3250 | (none) | (none) | B16483 | Half brick of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. Main stamp: To Nannar, king of the dEnlils, his king Sin-balatsu-iqbi, shakkanak of Ur, caretaker of Eridu, the E-gal En-nu-an-na (Palace heavenly fortress), the place where stands dNin-ka-si, he has built 8 lines. Side stamp: 7 lines. To Nannar, king of the Enlils... Omits mention of Nin-ka-si. | |
3252 | (none) | (none) | B16477 | Brick of Kurigalzu. To Nannar, his king, dKurigalzu mighty hero, king of Ur, king of Sumer and Akkad E-kish-shir-gal, his beloved temple, has restored. H.C. in text: Kassite period(13) | |
2566B | (none) | (none) | B16468A | Baked brick of ISHME-DAGAN. Fragment. Ishme-Dagan, who takes care of Nippur, who exalts the head of Ur, the .... of Eridu, the lord of Uruk, the powerful king, (king of Isin, king of Sumer and Akkad, the beloved husband of the goddess Ninni Only lines 1 to 7 are preserved. c. BC 2110. | |
2566A | (none) | (none) | B16467 | Baked brick of ISHME-DAGAN. Fragment. Ishme-Dagan, who takes care of Nippur, who exalts the head of Ur, the .... of Eridu, the lord of Uruk, the powerful king, (king of Isin, king of Sumer and Akkad, the beloved husband of the goddess Ninni Only lines 1 to 7 are preserved. c. BC 2110. | |
![]() | 2624 | (none) | (none) | B16461 | (none) |
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- 25 of 456 Objects
Media | Media Title | Title | Label | Author | Omeka Label |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p160 | Ur_Notes_v2_p160 | (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_p212 | Ur_Notes_v2_p212 | (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_p214 | Ur_Notes_v2_p214 | (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_p219 | Ur_Notes_v2_p219 | (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_v4_p218 | Ur_Notes_v4_p218 | (none) | |
![]() | Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings | Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings | 1939 | Woolley Leonard | (none) |
![]() | Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods | Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods | 1955 | Woolley, L. | (none) |
![]() | UPM Field Photo numbers | UPM Field Photo numbers | (none) | (none) | (none) |
Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0097 | GN0097 | (none) | |
Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0098 | GN0098 | (none) | |
Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0099 | GN0099 | (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
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Context
Ur > Ziggurat Terrace | ZT
References
Woolley, L. . (1955) Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods, Oxford: Oxford University Press.