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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 2781 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Pot stand. Red ware : complete. Type CXLIV =L.138 [=RC.245 has been crossed out.] |
| 2782 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Pottery vase. Buff ware: graceful shape with knob full. Lip broken. Type CXLV. Uncertain; if type is certain do not include in Larsa series probably = CXLII L.107 see typed. |
| 2805 | (none) | (none) | (none) | White obsidian nail. Head broken. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2810 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Baked. Fragment. IIIrd Ur Dynasty. 4 Shekels 10 grams of silver the sag-il of the female weavers (e-sal-us) through (pi?) ma-ash-gi-um. H.C. |
| 2845A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Pottery jars. Large of buff ware. Round bottomed. B. slightly different and lip broken. Type CLVII, =RC.220, [the following would seem to apply to (B) only) (not p) |
| 3000 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay sealing. With seal impression. III Ur Dynasty |
| 3001 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay sealing. With seal impression. III Ur Dynasty. |
| 3003 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet . Account of monty. III Ur Dynasty. |
| 3006 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet (much damaged). Comptability. Persian Period (Cambyses). In text: Ruin of Ziggurat(2) |
| 3027 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Stone weight. Blue stone pebble with 2 sides ground flat. Type ? VIII |
| 3032 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Ur-Engur Door-socket. Common in scripot: builder of E-Nannar. In text: Kassite period(13) |
| 3037 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Bur-Sin. Door-socket. Blue stone. Flaking off. To Ningal. Builts Gig-par azag. Duplicate of U.3031. In text: Neo-Babylonian period (8). |
| 3108 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Imitation celt. Of white stone, perhaps originally as pendant. In text: Neo-Babylonian period (14). |
| 3120 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Small pot of bitumen. Sketch pattern 1:1. [drawing 1:1] |
| 3122A | 29-174-3 | (none) | (none) | [A] Pottery vase. Of pinkish ware with narrow base opening out to splayed foot. Type CXCIII. =RC.74, =L9b. (B) Thinner. | |
| 3122B | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A] Pottery vase. Of pinkish ware with narrow base opening out to splayed foot. Type CXCIII. =RC.74, =L9b. (B) Thinner. |
| 3125 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Gold bead. With bitumen core blocking one hole. One end bent in. Spherical bead. In text: Neo-Babylonian period (7) in Cat. |
| 3127 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Polished celt. Of dark blue stone, pierced at top. [drawing 1:1] |
| 3148A | (none) | (none) | B16559 | Brick of Sinbalatsu igbi. Fragment. H.C. |
| 3148B | (none) | (none) | (none) | Brick of Sinbalatsu igbi. Fragment. H.C. |
| 3158 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Votive stone of Utu-hegal (BC 2350). Fragment diorite. Text: (To Nin-)gal, (beloved wife of) Sin, (his lady), (for) the life, of Utu-hegal, king of Uruk, king of the (4 regions of the world) Ur ( dEngur?) vice [regent] of Ur, (to) the mother of E-gish(-shir)-gal in Ur... utu Hegal, king of the Vth uruk Dynasty before Ur dEngur. H.C. |
| 3161 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Brick of Sin-balatsu-igbi. 12 lines inscription. |
| 3172 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Ur-Engur Door-socket. Usual inscription. In text: Kassite period (14) |
| 3239 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Bitumen fragment covered with blue coloring matter. Color doubtfully from lapis lazuli powder more probably copper. |
| 3243 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Bronze dress pin. Long and thin with sharp point and slightly flattened head. Present length (highly bent): 156mm. Diameter: 4mm. |
| Media | Media Title | Title | Label | Author | Omeka Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | |
| 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) |
- 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.