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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 2574 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Bone stilus? Writing end broken. Depth 2m-5m. |
| 2575 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Glass bowl. Fragmentary, blue glass, translucent, design of dots and lines. [drawing 1:1] |
| 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. |
| 2578 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Inscribed black clay tablet of circular form? Fragment of school exercise or litany has 2 on obverse. 3 lines on the reverse. The name; dNannar ( ) About BC 2100? |
| 2579 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Fragment. School exercise - List of signs: Gish: wood object. c. BC 2100 |
| 2580 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Fragment. School exercise - List of signs. c. BC 2100 |
| 2585 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Black clay tablet. Pillow shape. Dated: 29th Siwan, 5th year of Cambyses - BC 524. Text: ?barley regular ration (bal-la) for 3 bulls, ?ga barley, fodder (kissatta) For 13 sheep, total 20 1/2 qa barley (for the day) Obverse 5 lines. Reverse 1 line. H.C. |
| 2597 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Seal. Green glaze. Cynophelous monkey intaglio: pierced for suspension. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2605 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Pottery fragment. Buff clay, inscribed with couchant lion. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2607 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment of clay horse. Head and legs missing; saddled. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2608 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay figurine. Dark buff clay. Bearded and mitred figure, head only. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2609 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay figurine. Greenish glaze, head only. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2618 | (none) | 1927,1003.95 | (none) | Copper ingot. Well preserved but uninscribed. [drawing 1:2] | |
| 2620 | 29-174-26 | (none) | (none) | Glazed bowl. Reconstructed: with lotus design in relief outside: inside traces of flower design in color. =new type 2 (p) [drawing 1:2] | |
| 2621 | 29-174-27 | (none) | (none) | Glazed bowl. Reconstructed: drab clay, on low base: straight-sided. [drawing 1:2] | |
| 2632 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay pot. Pinkish drab ware: wheel made. Type. CXXVII. [drawing] |
| 2634 | (none) | 1927,1003.23 | (none) | Cone of Su-mu-ilum (of Larsa). Text: To Innana, his lady, Sumuilum the mighty hero, king of Ur, king of sumer and Akkad, has built, E-gi-na-ab-tum, azag--, her beloved house, in Ur. The 25th year of Gungunu king of Larsa is dated from the construction of E-gi-na-ab-tum azag of nannar (= Entreput sacre: sutummu, according to Th. D.) For the life of Gungunu, king of Ur, En-anna-tum high priest of Nannar at ur, son of Ishme Dagan, king of Sumer and Akkad, has built E-gi-na-ab-tum azagga H.C. R1 No. 114. |
| 2635A | 29-174-17 | (none) | (none) | Pottery vase. Unglazed greenish buff clay. Type CXXIX =L. (not p) Associated with U.2654 | |
| 2635B | (none) | (none) | (none) | Pottery vase. Unglazed greenish buff clay. Type CXXIX =L. (not p) Associated with U.2654 |
| 2636 | (none) | 1927,1003.120 | (none) | Clay flower(?) pot. Pinkish ware, unglazed : pierced at bottom. Type CXXX. Type drawing in album. [drawing] | |
| 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. |
| 2638 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Pot fragment. Marble, with him in low relief, standing on brick pavement. [drawing 1:2] |
| 2642 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay pot. Drab clay. Type drawing in album. Type CXXXI. =P.68 [drawing] |
| 2648 | (none) | 1927,1003.12 | (none) | Clay cone of Ur-Engur. Text: To Nannar strong bull of heaven, eldest son of Enlil, his king, has Ur-Engur, the mighty hero, the king of Ur built E-temen-ni-il Found in position in a mud brick. |
| 2651 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Barrel shaped clay cone of Arad-Sin. Fragment Col II 11-25. CF U.2528, U.2565, U.2612, U.2613, U.2617, U.2622 |
| 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
Share
Context
Ur > Ziggurat Terrace | ZT
References
Woolley, L. . (1955) Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods, Oxford: Oxford University Press.