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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 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. |
| 2818 | (none) | 1927,1003.145 | (none) | Terracotta animal. Prehistoric, reddish ware with painted square design and tooth design on back. Possibly pig. Head missing. | |
| 2819 | (none) | 1927,1003.148 | (none) | Clay sickle. Greenish drab model: prehistoric, with cutting edge and ends of blade painted black. [drawing 1:1] | |
| 2826 | (none) | 1927,1003.242 | (none) | Fragment of inlay. Shell, pierced at back for fixing and part of presentation scene; both figures have crowns and long hair and one carries a wand. Probably 1st Dynasty. [drawing 1:1] |
| 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) |
| 3026 | (none) | 1927,1003.91 | (none) | Bronze implement. Genus unknown : both ends flattened. In text: Neo-Babylonian period (10) and Fig. | |
| 3027 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Stone weight. Blue stone pebble with 2 sides ground flat. Type ? VIII |
| 3031 | (none) | 1927,1003.4 | (none) | Door-socket of Bur-Sin. Blue stone. Same inscription U.295 (Photo 24) To Nin-gal, his lady Bur-Sin mighty hero king of Ur, king of the 4 regions of the world has built her beloved house, Gi(g)-par azag for his life he has dedicated. |
| 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). |
| 3079 | (none) | 1927,1003.67 | (none) | Polished celt. Of dark green stone. [drawing 1:1] |
| 3105 | (none) | 1927,1003.20 | (none) | Gudean clay cone. Fragment. To Nina, the priestess lady, lady of In-dubba, his lady, Gudea, patesi of Lagash, has done the proper thing? Cf. SAKI p.142 Backstein H. |
| 3108 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Imitation celt. Of white stone, perhaps originally as pendant. In text: Neo-Babylonian period (14). |
| 3112 | (none) | 1927,1003.42 | (none) | Cone of Warad-Sin. Fragment. Variation of inscription: SAKI p.212 B. |
| 3115 | (none) | 1927,1003.271 | (none) | Sinidinnam Brick (18 lines). Has mark [reference double crescent drawing] The mighty hero who takes care of Ur king of Larsa, who restores the rites of Ur of Eridu. Ga-nun-mah from ancient days the previous kings had restored . On the [word erased] of Nannar the sublime king the sanctuary ( ) For the life of... and for my life I did build. [drawing] |
| 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] |
| 3140 | (none) | 1927,1003.100 | (none) | Copper staple. With eye presumably for suspension [drawing 1:1] |
| 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.