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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1625B | (none) | (none) | B15620, B15620, B15620 | Three (3) fragments of a black diorite monument, originally in shape of 4-sided pyramid, surmounted by a smaller body of the same shape. Around all sides of the lower pyramid runs a long inscription of New Babylonian date, concerning contracts for the building of a bit apti and the acquisition of the site for it, in the city of Ur. Found on New Babylonian floor level in N. corner between Nabonidus platform and the old wall. |
| 1625C | (none) | (none) | B15620, B15620, B15620 | Three (3) fragments of a black diorite monument, originally in shape of 4-sided pyramid, surmounted by a smaller body of the same shape. Around all sides of the lower pyramid runs a long inscription of New Babylonian date, concerning contracts for the building of a bit apti and the acquisition of the site for it, in the city of Ur. Found on New Babylonian floor level in N. corner between Nabonidus platform and the old wall. |
| 8473 | (none) | 1928,1009.471 | (none) | Terracotta head of female Upper right-hand side of head missing Hair falls down side of head in long tresses Pronounced chin, straight nose and slight ridge in middle of forehead Hellenistic style? [drawing] 1:1 sketch | |
| 17855 | (none) | 1932,1008.254 | (none) | Terracotta head of a ram? Crudely hand modelled. Broken off at the shoulders. Kassite. | |
| 17648 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Terracotta figurine. Red Clay. Young nude female with hands clasped below breasts : feet and face missing and head broken off in antiquity but found with the body. |
| 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] | |
| 18237 | 33-35-13 | (none) | (none) | Terracotta figurine. Fragment of male figure, archaic type. [drawing 1:1] | |
| 2542 | (none) | 1927,1003.146 | (none) | Terracotta dog. Red ware: seated, part of hind quarters missing. [drawing] | |
| 2818 | (none) | 1927,1003.145 | (none) | Terracotta animal. Prehistoric, reddish ware with painted square design and tooth design on back. Possibly pig. Head missing. | |
| 17641 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Unbaked = complete. | |
| 8840F | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. In a box, not marked, and not fully examined, the following leftover unbaked, at end of season. (A)[A and H] 2 considerable fragments. (B)[B and I-L] 5 small tablets. (C) seal impression (interesting). (D) Contract with many fragments of its envelope, with seal impressions. also baked. (E) Fragment containing some proper names. (F) Half a business note also. (G) corner of archaic tablet. |
| 7844 | 37-7-96 | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Fragment. Proper names. In rather archaic writing. |
| 10612 | 52-30-28 | (none) | (none) | Tablet Business document Concerning payments cf. SE. Persian period (?) No date. HC..400. |
| 3027 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Stone weight. Blue stone pebble with 2 sides ground flat. Type ? VIII |
| 1701 | (none) | (none) | B15732 | Stone Weight. Black stone. Cigar shaped with 6 incised strokes. Type II |
| 17838 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Stone vase. White calcite. Miniature. Type RC 113 new. [RC.67 variant crossed out] [drawing 1:1] |
| 18232 | (none) | 1933,1013.1 | (none) | Stone vase. Fragments of stalagmitic calcite with deeply colored veining. Type. On it, part of an inscription. |
| 18224 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Stone vase fragment. Black and white marble with fragment of inscription. Probably belongs to U.1455. H.C. |
| 18308 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Stone vase fragment. White calcite. Bowl, shallow with carinated rim. On the outside a panel, complete, with inscription. [drawing of cuneiform inscription] Rimush |
| 7816 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Stone tablet (fragmt). Limestone. Prob. of Kurigalzu. The insc. in so far as it is extent being identical with that of Kurigalzu's found. tablet U3019 except that line 9(?) is e-kis-sir-gal. HC.36. B. |
| 3246 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Stone mould. For beads etc. in text: Neo-Babylonian period(14) |
| 15804 | 31-16-520 | (none) | (none) | Stone hoe. [drawing 1:1] |
| 3295 | (none) | 1927,1003.65 | (none) | Stone crescent. Pink marble, bored for insertion of standard pole. Sketch 1:2/ in text: Neo-Babylonian period (13) in Cat. [drawing 1:2] |
| 17833 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Statuette of reclining dog (?). Calcite. Originally, colored bright red (some of color left) with eyes filled in with black. The beast has a ruff and a bushy tail. A hole is pierced from the top of the back to the stomach. On the under side a seal cutting (much perished) showing animals mostly cut with the drill. |
| 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
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Context
Ur > Ziggurat Terrace | ZT
References
Woolley, L. . (1955) Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods, Oxford: Oxford University Press.