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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2636 | (none) | 1927,1003.120 | (none) | Clay flower(?) pot. Pinkish ware, unglazed : pierced at bottom. Type CXXX. Type drawing in album. [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. |
| 3305 | (none) | 1927,1003.113 | (none) | Silver cup. Straight-sided cup of silver alloyed with copper and ornamented. Type sketch 1:1. in Cat. In text: kassite period(16) [drawing 1:1] | |
| 2759A | (none) | 1927,1003.11 | (none) | [A-K] 11 cones of Warad-Sin. Numbered A to K. Found in position. Text (cf. Thur-Dang ISA. Arad(-Sin c)) in text: Zigg in Larsa period (8) |
| 3140 | (none) | 1927,1003.100 | (none) | Copper staple. With eye presumably for suspension [drawing 1:1] |
| 2759F | (none) | 1927,1003.10 | (none) | [A-K] 11 cones of Warad-Sin. Numbered A to K. Found in position. Text (cf. Thur-Dang ISA. Arad(-Sin e)) in text: Ziggurat in Larsa period (8) | |
| 3224 | (none) | 1927,1003.1 | (none) | Door-socket of Bur-Sin. Diorite 52 lines inscription. Building of Dub-lal mah for Nannar. Probably duplicate of U.1163 (Photo. Book II p.147) H.C. |
| 6924 | (none) | 1927,0527.301 | (none) | Lamp. Baked clay. Reddish. Thick spout at bottom of bowl, slightly upturned. Persian? Or Neo-Babylonian. E. ? | |
| 11677 | (none) | 1927,0527.24a | (none) | Fragment of Statue(?) Diorite inscribed. |
| 1396B | (none) | 1924,0920.48 | (none) | Beads. 3 strings made up from single horde: viz: A. 53 large beads. B. Many small beads and beads like miniature implements. C. Mainly small beads. |
| 1400 | (none) | 1924,0920.409 | (none) | Bronze ring. Small. [drawing 1:1] | |
| 1402 | (none) | 1924,0920.408 | (none) | Pin head(?) Lapis lazuli and gold, much incrusted with salt, etc. |
| 1696 | (none) | 1924,0920.396 | (none) | Alabaster vase. Fragment. With remains of archaic inscription. |
| 1455 | (none) | 1924,0920.395 | (none) | Fragment from the rim of a mottled black and white stone vase, with the remains of an inscription of Ennapadda, priest of Nnar, and son of Ur-Nammu, King of Ur. Cf. U.18224. Cf. Ur Texts No. 25 |
| 1697 | (none) | 1924,0920.392 | (none) | Fragment of baked clay cone of Warad-Sin duplicate of U.19, U.700, etc. Contains beginnings of Column I lines 8-12. |
| 1564 | (none) | 1924,0920.386 | (none) | Pottery fragment. Drab clay. Glazed with pattern on yellow ground of purplish-blue with white squares. This fragment resembles glazed ware found at Asshur and in Cyprus. [drawing 1:1] |
| 1560B | (none) | 1924,0920.244 | (none) | [A-B] Two fragments of large baked clay cylinder of Nabonidus: containing parts of column I & II of the inscription on cylinder K.1688 in the British Museum. These fragments possibly belong to that cylinder. |
| 1560A | (none) | 1924,0920.243 | (none) | [A-B] Two fragments of large baked clay cylinder of Nabonidus: containing parts of column I & II of the inscription on cylinder K.1688 in the British Museum. These fragments possibly belong to that cylinder. |
| 1398 | (none) | 1924,0920.232 | (none) | Bronze spatula. [drawing 1:1] | |
| 1397 | (none) | 1924,0920.229 | (none) | Coil of bronze: thick wire, plaited, with beads and shells adhering. [drawing: not to scale] | |
| 1115 | (none) | 1924,0920.179 | (none) | Seal. Black burnt clay. Incised lines on face. [drawing] |
| 806 | (none) | 1923,1110.2 | (none) | Basalt hinge-stone. Inscribed with name, etc., of NABONIDUS. The fragments of the iron shoe of the door-post are still fixed in the stone. |
| 772 | (none) | 1923,1110.121 | (none) | Clay model of animal intestines? Roughly made out of crumbly and lightly baked creamish clay. [drawing] | |
| 773 | (none) | 1923,1110.120 | (none) | Clay model of animal intestines? of powdery poorly baked clay; afterwards accidentally burnt and damaged. Like U but in worse condition. | |
| 643 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Bronze arrowhead. Normal, 3-flanged 8th-7th cent. type. |
| Media | Media Title | Title | Label | Author | Omeka Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPM Field Photo numbers | UPM Field Photo numbers | (none) | (none) | (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) |
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0097 | GN0097 | (none) | |
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0098 | GN0098 | (none) | |
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0099 | GN0099 | (none) | |
| 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) |
- 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.