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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 3246 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Stone mould. For beads etc. in text: Neo-Babylonian period(14) |
| 3249A | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-M] 13 Clay cones of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. To Nin-gal the great lion of E-gish-shir-gal the lady of the beloved crown (Nin-men-na) of Ur, his lady, Sin-balatsu-iqbi, vice regent of Ur, has built anew the Gig-par shrine of Nin-lil, the beloved bride of Sin. A statue representing Nin-gal he had made. In the shrine of dHU-DU (the god who knows = her husband?) he introduced it. In E-nir- (or E-nun) the place erected for her rites, he fixed it. 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) | |
| 3253 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Head of statue. Black diorite:: head of young person, finely modeled, broken off at base of skull: nose broken. Sketch. In text: Neo-Babylonian period (8) but date is probably 3rd Dynasty or earlier. [drawing] |
| 3261 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Ur-Engur Door-socket. Usual inscription. |
| 3262 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Necklace. Of carnelian, crystal, agate, one pebble and one amethyst; carnelian very roughly cut. In text: Neo-Babylonian period(5) in cat. |
| 3267 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay cone. Fragment. Construction - with the great cubit of Sin: - of the great outer wall (Kir-mah). King probably Larsa (Warad-Sin or Rim-Sin?) H.C. |
| 3278 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Shell inlay fragment. Portion of flounced woolen dress, finely worked. From figure ringed on to base by wires at back. Rough sketch. [drawing 1:1] |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 3297B | (none) | (none) | (none) | 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. |
| 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. | |
| 3298B | (none) | (none) | (none) | 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. |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 3312 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Gold leaf fragments? four fragments. Plain leaf. In txt: Kassite period (16) in cat. |
| 3313 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Gold wire. Small fragments. In text: Kassite period (16) in cat. |
| 3316 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Brick - Time of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. With counting board of 6 by 10 squares. In text: neo-Babylonian period (6) in Cat.[drawing] |
| 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. | |
| 3327 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Mud statuette. Broken. Standing figurine with clasped hands, long shawl of robe. Upper part above hands broken off off actually 12 1/2 by 7 cm.. Inscription on back: --Mu-ir-ru-um --mu-kin par-si The commandment? the keeper of the ordnances H.C. |
| 3333 | 29-174-25 | (none) | (none) | Lamp. Fragmentary. Glazed pottery: stem broken: glaze of buff color with tracks of bluish green. Sectional sketch 1:2. [drawing 1:2] | |
| 3334 | 29-174-28 | (none) | (none) | Glazed bowl. Fragmentary and unornamented: with plain transparent glaze. | |
| 3335 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Glazed pottery ampulla. Round cheeked vessel with exceedingly small neck and almost rounded base lip broken off. Brownish glaze with traces of bluish green. |
| 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.